The Marine's Daughter
by Cottonball428
Summary: Maia is young and loyal. But where will her loyalties lie when she begins to fall in love with a pirate? AceXOC. Language, scene of rape, sexual content.
1. Wasted

Hello, and welcome to my first One Piece FanFic! I was really excited to write it and I hope you all enjoy it. This story is about my original character, Maia and her relationship with Ace, who sadly died. It will also be about her attempts to move on and her past as she travels with the Straw Hats. I like a little mystery so there will be secrets later revealed about Maia. Enjoy.

**Wasted**

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The atmosphere of the bar was warm and happy. After docking in the harbor of Macaroon Town, the crew and I had a relaxed day, ending with them getting ridiculously wasted while I watched from the bar, which didn't even serve peanuts. No, it served macaroons, my least favorite type of nut. My boys were very loud and obnoxious, something I frowned upon in all people. Especially drunk people. Then again, I couldn't complain. If I had enough alcohol tolerance to become drunk, I'd probably be just as rowdy as the rest of them. But I didn't and besides, I was trying to be seen as figure of maturity and sophistication, despite being only seventeen. Most people my age would've partying and drinking all night or making out with "the love of their life". But I had a job, a responsibility. One that could change the world…

The bartender slammed a shot glass down in front of me, full of menacing dark brown liquid and grinned. I held my hands up in protest. "No, thank you. I don't drink," I shook my head vigorously, my golden curly hair flying in every direction. He laughed, his mouth revealing a few missing teeth. "Well, since you won't eat our nuts-," he was interrupted by the boisterous laughter of my drunken boys. I glared at them. "Then you have to at least take one shot of our strongest whiskey. It's our only rule in this bar," he continued before chuckling. I scowled at the fat man. "Since when is that a rule?" I questioned angrily. He smirked before pointing to a crudely written sign above the door titled "Golden Rule". I was pretty sure it wasn't there earlier and the oafish looking fellow holding a wet paint brush helped convince me that I was right. I snatched up the wash cloth the bartender named Louis used to wipe down the bar. I marched up to the door and smiled. "Guess, this isn't a rule anymore," I said triumphantly before attempting to erase the "Golden Rule". But I found myself not able to even reach the top of the door, yet alone above it. I attempted to ignore the snickers behind me, but I could feel my face getting hot. I hated being _really _short. _Everyone_ made fun of my height. Including complete strangers, who would pat me on my head without even thinking, like I was a child

I suddenly felt myself being picked up and forced to sit at a table a group of my men had recently occupied. It was empty now, deserted except for the same glass of whiskey that confronted me earlier at the bar. I tried to back away from it, but a two of my crew members held me in place. "Drink it! Drink it! Drink it!" everyone in the bar chanted, including the group of pirates that sat away from everyone else. Most pirate crews would've skipped town when they saw a marine ship in the harbor. But when they appeared in town, I assured them that my marines were not here to collect any criminals. They stayed and now both parties occupied the bar without any hostility, though the pirates seemed annoyed at how voluminous my boys gradually kept getting as the night swept on. The Spade Pirates, as they told me when I asked what their crew was called, now openly laughed and cheered for me to get my drink on.

I was _humiliated_ and wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. My cheeks were as red as a ripe cherry. I tried to excuse myself. "I can't drink! Because… I-I'm allergic to alcohol! That's it! It makes me break out and it makes me tired and CRAZY! Yeah, when I'm crazy, it is not a fun situation, believe me," I tried to sound believable, but I doubt even if I did, nobody heard me. "Sweetie, that's what happens when _anyone _gets drunk," a customer yelled. "Going crazy is the best part about gettin drunk, sweet lips!" another random person said. My crew was not helping. "Come on, Maia! Have one drink. Live a little!" Riley, a good friend of mine close in age said. "Man Maia, stop being such a prude!" Drew complained. I grinded my teeth together. _A prude? I am not a prude! _ I thought angrily. Sure I had a few reservations about certain things, like hooking up with a guy in every town and kingdom we stop in, but that's because of the way I was raised! I took a deep breath to control my anger. "If I drink this, will all of you leave me alone about not drinking _forever_?" I asked quietly, my stomach churning at the thought of swallowing the strong liquid. They all nodded and I took another deep breath. I put my hand around the glass. "She's gonna do it!" someone exclaimed, only to be hushed by someone else. It was the quietest it had ever been in the bar since we arrived "Here goes nothing," I muttered. I put the glass to my mouth and tilted my head back as the liquid slid down my throat, burning it like acid. I swallowed and slammed the glass down, taking in a deep breath. Everyone in the bar was cheering and several people were ordering more shots.

I couldn't even focus. The room was spinning and I closed my eyes to concentrate. The loud noises were not helping and the smell of liquor made me want to throw up. I abruptly stood up and raced out of the bar, the need for fresh air too great to ignore. As soon as the cool air of night hit me, I could feel my head began to clear a little. I sat against a barrel outside of bar and put my head between my knees, hoping this feeling would go away soon. I felt a hand on my back, rubbing it gently. "If you want to keep from throwing up, I suggest you stand up and tilt your head back. You should also put your hands above your head. It will increase blood flow to your brain to help you focus," a soft, deep voice said gently. I would've jumped from being startled but I felt too tired. I stood up and did what he said. "There ya go. Now take deep, deep breaths," he instructed and I complied. I instantly felt a little bit better. I looked at the man who happened to be almost a foot taller than me so I was face to face with his sculpted abdomen. I smiled, too buzzed to be embarrassed. I looked up and saw him looking down at me with a puzzled expression. "Thank you," I slurred, before swaying. I remember falling into his hot body, and him saying "Oh, shit!" before I lost consciousness.

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I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review : )


	2. Silenced

A woman knows the face of the man she loves like a sailor knows the open sea.

Honoré de Balzac

I was on a huge creativity role… so here is Chapter 2 :)

**Silenced**

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I could feel myself being shifted from one pair of hands to the next. I opened my eyes to narrow slits."Thank you very much," I heard my old nanny Joseph say gratuitously as took me in his arms. I stirred slightly, my head already feeling like someone let a kangaroo loose in it. "No problem, sir. She's a lightweight. It was almost like carrying a doll," the man who briefly helped me when I was… incapacitated said with a chuckle. Joseph laughed, too. They stood on the marine ship the crew and me traveled on that was docked in the harbor. _Are they makin' fun of me? Why are they makin' fun of me? S' not nice…,_ I thought drunkenly. "Joe, Joe, put me down! I can walk, put me down Joey," I wiggled out of his arms and stood up, only to stumble back into the helpful stranger. I looked at him and smiled. "Hello. You sure are good at catching people. Do you catch people for a living or something?" I slurred.

He smiled at me, his dark eyes gleaming mischievously. "No ma'am. I'm simply a pirate. Portgas D. Ace, captain of the Spade Pirates," he said before briefly removing his hat and replacing it. The hat was orange and had two smiley faces on it, a happy and a sad one. "Hey, cool hat!" I yelled right in his ear. He smirked. "Why, thank you." He handed me to Joe again who held me a lot tighter this time. I started giggling uncontrollably. "Wait a minute. If, if you're Ace, and you- you're the captain of the Spads," I blew air through my lips, "the Spade Pirates, then that makes you… the Ace of Spades!" I laughed loudly now, my whole body rolling with it. Ace laughed too, and sighed. "What a very original joke, Maia," Ace said sarcastically but kindly. "But I have to go and take care of my own drunk people. It was a pleasure meeting you," he said before turning and hopping off the boat. He walked down the docks and I couldn't even focus on him after that.

"Joe?" I called, feeling queasy as he walked to my bedroom. "Hmm?" he responded. "I don't feel so good," I said quietly. "Well, that's what happens when you drink," he said curtly. I didn't say anything, he seemed a little irritated. "Joe?" I said again when we reached my room. "Yeah?" he replied as he threw me over his shoulder to free his hands to open the door. "That pirate… was so cute," I giggled and Joe sighed.

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I vomited for what felt like the hundredth time in one night. It tasted awful. Joe rubbed my back gently and held my hair as we sat in my private bathroom. "There, there, get it all out of your system," Joe cooed, sitting with me patiently while I threw up my breakfast, lunch _and _dinner. "It was just one shot!" I piped up before I threw my head back into the toilet bowl. I moaned and laid my head against the toilet bowl. "Some people's bodies just aren't meant to consume certain things. You're simply not meant to consume alcohol, which I thought you knew by now," he said matter-of-factly. I moaned again, before purging another time. The only other time I've had alcohol was at my 17th birthday party. I hadn't thought to drink before then, and the crew had coaxed me into it by saying this was a necessary step for becoming a woman. I wish I never believed them. After one last expunging, I felt like I had no more left in me to heave.

Joe helped me up and walked me over to the sink. While I brushed teeth vigorously, he ran a hand through his blonde, almost silver hair and yawned. I spit out my toothpaste and rinsed my mouth out. "You can leave now, Joe. I'm pretty sure I can make it to bed all right now. Not to mention you seem pretty tired," I said before splashing cold water over my face. It felt heavenly. "No, can do. I am your guardian. I have to make sure you make it to bed safely and are comfortably tucked in," he responded in a serious voice. I snorted. "That was you're job when I was like eight. I'm seventeen. I can tuck my own self in now," I said as I made my way out of my bathroom to my bed.

Joe raced me there and flipped the top half of my sheets and covers over. He held his hands out towards the bed with a childish grin on his face. I rolled my eyes, but got into bed anyway. He wrapped the covers around me and fluffed my pillows. I shimmied out my arms and lay them flat on the bed, looking at Joe expectantly. "What do you want to tell me a bedtime story now?" I asked, sarcastically. He frowned. I sighed. "Will you please just leave so I can get some sleep? I have a headache," I said, not lying. My head was pounding. Joe looked hurt, but then perked up. "Of course! The best cure for a headache is rest, right?" he said. "Mm-hm," I replied, before remembering. "Hey, Joe! I almost forgot. Here," I opened the drawer to my nightstand, and pulled out my bottle of sleeping pills, guaranteed to knock out a baby sea king. I slid one out and tossed it to Joe. "I know you've been having trouble sleeping, so I figured you could use one," I explained at his puzzled expression. I put the bottle back and put my head to my pillow. Joe stood in the middle of my room, tears welling in his eyes. I was shocked. "Joe! What's wrong?" I asked, feeling a little guilty that I may hurt his feelings. "It's just, that you're so thoughtful. I just-," he choked and ran out the room.

I stared after him. Joe had been like a father to me during those times my own dad hadn't been around. But sometimes, he could be a little… eccentric, to say the least. I winced as my headache worsened. I felt so tired and yawned. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position. I was tempted to take a sleeping pill, but the doctor said I needed to try to sleep on my own. He said I didn't want to develop a drug dependency. I thought about the kind pirate that helped me today. _He's like the people I'm fighting for, _I thought sleepily. I tried to sleep without the covers, which was no help. I eventually ended up facing straight up. I stared at the ceiling until it blended in with the darkness as I fell asleep.

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A rough hand covered my mouth and several other hands held my arms and legs down. I would've thought this was a dream, except the low laughter and smell of alcohol was too pungent. _What a rude awakening, _I thought before actual fear set in. My gold eyes shot open. It dark, but I could barely make out the outline of a man I did not know on top of me in a position I was not familiar with. My attempt to scream was muddled by his large, sweaty hand. He laughed menacingly. "Now you don't wanna do that sweetheart. Cause, you see…," he pulled out a large knife. I could see the glint through the thin moonlight that shined through my small window. "If you scream, we'll have to shut you up. And that means cutting that pretty little neck of yours," he threatened. My eyes widened and I moaned in agreement. "Good. Now hold still," he commanded. A felt a few more pair of hands on my body and opened my mouth to scream bloody mary. The coolness of metal at my throat shut me up quickly. "Not one noise, you stupid bitch," he growled. I could make out his black hair and eyes by the little light in the room. I recognized him immediately. When we docked in town, we noticed a pirate crew was already here. We wouldn't have bothered them, except a few of the pirates got bold and attempted to challenge a few of my guys. I jumped in between them and told them to step off. They looked like they were ready to attack me, but a man with black hair and black eyes told them to back off. He was extremely tall and looked deadly. I remember he winked at me and I shuddered. I assumed he was their captain. I suppose I was right because when he barked orders, the men in my room listened. "Tie up her ankles and wrist. Don't forget to gag her and to blindfold her," he snarled. _I've already seen you, you idiot! What is blindfolding me gonna do? _I wanted to say aloud. But I wouldn't dare say a thing.

He briefly left and his minions went to work. I struggled, but I was clearly outmatched. When they successfully tied me up, they had forgotten to blindfold me. While they were high-fiving at a job well done, I used the opening they created to attempt to escape. I rolled off the bed, careful to avoid the nightstand. I started scooting along like a caterpillar on steroids. They heard my landing and attempted to grab for me. Little did they know I had received top martial arts training, and while my hands and feet were unavailable, my athleticism served me well. I flipped myself over and coiled myself like a spring before popping straight up and hitting one of them in the face with my bare feet. He yelped and flipped, landing face first. I, on the other hand, landed on my feet and without wasting a second, rammed into the second guy's fat belly with my head. He gasped, and wheezed before slamming hard against the wall. _Someone has to hear this, _I thought pleadingly. My head hurt, but I turned and continued towards the door, which swung open suddenly. I skidded back as the captain gaped, taking in the scene before him. I saw a small opening and ran for it; I quickly felt a hard fist in my stomach and an explosion of pain. I coughed out some blood.. I stumbled but stood my ground.

"You're not going anywhere, you stupid little whore!" he raged. He swung and my last thought before his fist connected with my face was, _someone has to hear this._

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Hmm, funny how every chapter has ended with poor Maia losing consciousness : P

Any questions? Feel free to ask.

A/N: I did my best with the fight scene. Correct me if I'm wrong.


	3. Heard

_A man falls I love through his eyes, a woman through her ears."- Woodrow Wyatt_

I've been hearing good things. I like good things. I'm changing up my writing style a bit, just to avoid some confusion.

S/N: Told you I would have it out by today : )

**Warning: This chapter contains a graphic scene of rape.**

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**Heard**

The captain of the Rackgang Pirates lifted Maia and tossed her over his shoulder roughly. He also picked up the small treasure chest the poor girl hit her head on after he punched her. He tucked it under his arm and then glared at his two men the girl managed to take down while her feet _and _arms were tied up. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. _She's a quarter their size and she took them down in the thirty seconds I left the room, _he thought in complete disbelief. _Either my men need some serious work or this girl is taking some serious roids'. _

He sighed and turned on his heel to leave the room. _Whatever the reason, there ain't no way in hell she can stand up against me, _he thought as an evil grin spread across his face. He walked down the hallway to the stairs that led to the deck. He ignored the protests of the marines, unable to leave their rooms as his men had boarded up their doors. _She'll fight as much as she can, but it won't be enough to stop me from taking from what I want, _he anticipated, licking his lips as he rubbed his hand all along the unconscious girl's thigh up to her buttocks.

The dark-minded captain imagined her struggle. She would kick, bite, and scream as he ripped off the thin white nightgown that separated their bodies. She would pull his hair, thinking that she was strong enough to pull him away from her. But he would pull himself even closer against her body and squeeze her big breasts and suck on her plump teats. He would leave little deep bite marks on her sun-kissed skin while she cried and begged him to stop. But he would keep going until she was too exhausted to fight anymore and she could only whisper protests. Then he would slam his length into her, full force. Her back would arch and the crying would begin again. But he won't give up until he comes, inside of her. Then he would pull out, blood all along his length from popping her cherry, if she still had one.

"Captain Rackgang! Everything from their supplies to their valuables has been put on the ship," one of his crew reported, snapping Captain Rackgang out of his dark fantasy. _Down boy, _he told his growing arousal. "Good," Captain Rackgang commented. "Now head back to the ship! The sun will rise and we'll be caught. We need to leave this harbor as soon as possible," he commanded. "Yes, sir!" the remaining crew on the ship responded. They swarmed around him as they also made their way to the deck.

He hated rushing these raids, but they were already kicked out of this stupid town earlier. They were merely checking out the "merchandise". That is, the women. It was their basic routine when they arrived at a new town. They would find women who were easy to target. Mostly young women who lived alone. But sometimes mothers as well, caught off guard. They would kidnap and rape them, multiple times even, then kill them when the pirates tired of them.

Captain Rackgang felt the cool air hit his face as he approached the deck. The sun was barely rising over the horizon. He took a deep breath and smiled and laughed loud and menacing. He didn't care anymore. In a few minutes, the Rackgang Pirates would be on their way, a new play toy for the captain in captivity. His imagination roamed again, back to where it left off. Yes, after he was finished taking her however many times he wished he would take out his knife and carefully slit her slender throat. As she bled out, he would carve her body one appendage at a time, enjoying every scream of pure pain…

Maia stirred slightly and groaned. He chuckled. "So you're finally awake? I started thinking might have hit you a little too hard back there, slut," he taunted. She groaned again. He jumped off the ship to the harbor. "C'mon fellas'! We got us a new a plaything!"

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Maia gasped as her captor's shoulder blade sunk deep into her abdomen as he descended from the ship and landed on the harbor. She wheezed and heard him laugh again. The left side of her face was throbbing. _It feels like I got hit with cannonball rather than a fist, _she thought. The cool air spread over her body as Captain Rackgang ran down the harbor, towards his pirate ship Maia assumed. She shivered and cursed under her breath. _It's just my luck that would end up being kidnapped by pirates while they robbed my ship and locked the crew in their room. _It didn't help that the headache that lay dormant in her head until later that morning was prematurely released when Captain Rackgang punched her in the face. She winced as her head pounded.

"Oi! You're awful quiet back there. Are you sure I didn't kill ya?" he asked, laughing menacingly. His voice, his touch, the way he laughed, everything sent chills down her spines. But she attempted a brave face; Maia didn't want him to think he was going to get away this and she was just going to let it happen, though she didn't know how she going to stop it. "No, I'm not dead. I'm just trying to keep from throwing up because you smell like shit," Maia mocked. He stopped suddenly and Maia wondered if what she said made him too angry. Captain Rackgang dropped the treasure chest and pulled Maia off his shoulder so he could her hold at arm's length. He growled and Maia whimpered. He pulled her body against his and put his mouth to her ear. "What did you say, bitch?" he whispered in a low voice.

His breath instantly repelled and Maia was literally trying not to gag. Maia shook, not because of the cold, but out of fear. She gulped. "What you didn't hear me? I said _you stink, you motherfucking asshole!" _she yelled, loud enough the rest of the Rackgang Pirates could hear her at the end of harbor thirty feet away. They stared in complete shock in their captain's and Maia's direction.

Captain Rackgang's hand flew to her throat, immediately constricting her airways. Maia grabbed his wrist with her, trying to remove his hand with futile effort. She gasped and coughed, body shaking in her effort to breathe. Her ears were ringing with panic. Captain Rackgang looked furious. "It's the stupid girls like you, who like to mouth off and never know when to shut the hell up that get under my skin!" he roared, his face red with rage. His hand squeezed tighter and Maia started turning purple. "Pl-please," she choked out. Captain Rackgang now grabbed her throat with both hands and started to shake her vigorously. Her blindfold fell off, revealing wide gold eyes, vivid with fear and pain. "Now you wanna beg for your life, tramp? Now you wanna act afraid? It's too late. First I'm gonna bang the slut right out of ya. And then I'm gonna-," a fire ball interrupted his threat, hitting him directly in the left side of the face. Captain Rackgang flew to the right, releasing Maia in his surprise and landed at the edge of the harbor.

Maia inhaled as soon as his hand left her small throat. She breathed in small quick pants. She could feel herself falling and she attempted to catch herself but she didn't have to; someone else did it for her. "Take slow deep breaths," a deep, gentle voice commanded as they landed softly on harbor. Maia deliberately slowed down her breathing as she was told. She looked at the same kind, handsome stranger who helped earlier her for more instruction. He looked at her calmly and smiled. She smiled back weakly. He set her against one of the wooden post on the harbor. "It's okay now. We're gonna make sure you stay safe," he promised as he stood up and glared at Captain Rackgang, who just started moving again. _We?_ Maia thought, baffled. That's when she noticed a group of men, the ones whom Maia's crew shared the bar with, rushing towards the Rackgang Pirates. He took a step towards the villain, but Maia grabbed his hand. His looked at her, obviously confused. She saw black spots beginning to appear in her vision, so before she lost consciousness for the third time that morning, she thanked Portgas D. Ace for the second time that morning for getting her out of a terrible ordeal.

**A/N: Was the whore/slut/tramp thing too much? I just wanted Captain Rackgang to be a disrespectful character with absolutely no respect for women whatsoever. And was the POV switching confusing? I just needed to show how terrible Captain Rackgang is, so I felt this was the only way. Tell me if I failed epically.**

**This chapter took me forever. I just kept rewriting and revising it over and over again. It was exhausting. Anyway, questions? Please ask. I like to write chapters that raise questions which WILL I answer in later chapters. It's just this thing I like to do to keep people interested. Well, better get started on Chapter 4. Adios.**


	4. Attractive

_"We were given: Two hands to hold. Two legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find."_

**_-Unknown_**

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**Attractive**

"Joseph," Maia called out for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, Joseph ignored her. "I want you all to know how terribly disappointed I am in all of you. This situation could've been avoided if you all had been the responsible men Maia's father hired to provide protection for his daughter on the rough seas," he said gravely to the crew, who were lined up side-by-side on the deck taking the verbal punishment in guilty silence. Some of them had their head bowed in shame, while others stared ahead, the disgrace clear in their eyes.

It hurt Maia's heart to see them hurt like this and she glared at Joseph. She stood up from the edge of the ship and walked over to him, staring up at him. "Joseph! Stop talking to them like that! They couldn't help that they got locked in their rooms," I defended them. He scowled back at Maia. "If they hadn't been sleeping off the booze and weren't tired from staying out all night, they would've been more alert and ready to take on the intruders!" he argued back, peering down at her small figure. "All we do is travel on the seas all day and night, Joseph! Can you blame them if they just wanna let loose one night? No one could've known-" Joseph interrupted her. "No one could've known that a bunch of pirate rapists were gonna kidnap you and do God knows what to you? You're right, no one could've known. But the point is, it could've been avoided," he looked at her, his face stern and serious. Maia frowned and the men looked uneasy. Though the Rackgang Pirates had been taken care of, Maia still felt haunted by the thought of them and wanted to avoid the subject all together. "Stop talking to them like that," she warned quietly before turning around and hopping off the ship down to the harbor.

A warm breeze flowed through the white, loose long-sleeved shirt Maia had on and rustled the fringe on her blue denim shorts. A golden chain with a sun pendant hung around her bandaged neck. _It feels so nice during the day here,_ she reflected. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky. The town was bustling with activity. She walked down the harbor, enjoying a walk before hitting the seas again to head back to Marineford. They had stopped in this town simply to restock some supplies after Maia finished negotiations with Illusia, a country in West Blue. _Such a nice country,_ Maia thought, remembering the spring island. Though it rained practically the whole time they were there, when the sun came out it was a beautiful sight. And then her mind flashed back to a not so distant memory. She grabbed her throat absentmindedly while remembering Captain Rackgang strangling her. _I'm gonna bang the slut right outta ya, _he had threatened, his black eyes full of menace and hatred. Maia breathed shallowly like she was still being choked and tears spilled onto her face. _It's okay now, _she attempted to calm herself down. _He's gone, and you're gonna be okay, _Maia tried to soothe herself to no avail.

"Hey, are you all right?" a voice asked from behind her. She jumped and yelped before whirling around. Portgas D. Ace stood behind her, a concerned look in his eyes that grew to wide-eyed horror when he saw her face. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just... having allergies problems," Maia lied, blushing when she saw who it was. She started to wipe the tears from her face. Ace cocked his head to the side. "You don't look fine. You look scared and upset," he said straightforwardly. "Well, you did startle me, so that's probably while I look scared," she said as a lame excuse, running a hand through her golden curly hair. "Then why do you look upset? Is it because you saw my face?" he joked with a chuckle. "Of course not. You have a nice face," Maia blurted out without thinking. Ace raised an eyebrow. She covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I just said that," she said, completely embarrassed._Idiot! Stupid! Moron! _Maia chastised herself. Ace grabbed her hands and pulled them from her red face, laughing at her. "Don't be so embarrassed. I get that all the time Maia," he claimed, grinning from ear to ear. Maia smiled at him. "It's so nice to know that you're so humble, Portgas," she replied sarcastically. "Ace," he said. "What?" Maia asked. "Call me Ace. Everyone calls me Ace," he said in complete seriousness. "Okay, _Ace_," Maia said with a smile.

They both realized that Ace was still holding her hands and he released them. "Oh, sorry," he apologized, his face flushing slightly. "It's fine," Maia responded, blushing again. "That looks painful," Ace said quietly referring to the black bruise on the left side of her face where Captain Rackgang punched her. "It is," Maia whispered, looking down at her feet. There was an awkward silence between the two teenagers. Maia glanced at Ace, studying his face. The only other time she'd seen it, she was buzzed and his face was blurry, but she could tell that he was good-looking. Now she looked at him harder and she saw just how good-looking he actually was. Freckles were spread across his handsome face and Maia found them incredibly attractive. He wore a red beaded necklace and also had a medallion with bull horns. And then there was his orange hat with the two blue smileys. She went lower and found she was eye level with his sculpted abdomen, and she could feel her face heat up.

Ace noticed her staring and laughed. "You blush _a lot. _See something ya like?" he asked. _Yes, _she thought. Maia turned around so he could not see the chagrin on her face. "No! I was just thinking that I should probably thank you for saving me," she said softly, biting her lip. "Please, you don't need to-," he stopped when Maia held up her hand. "Yes I do. I had never been so afraid in my life than I was earlier today. That... monster was going to do awful things to me. And then he was gonna kill me. I was so helpless and I knew I couldn't fight back," she began to cry again. "Maia-," Ace began, but Maia whipped around and put a finger to his lips, though she could barely reach his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing. "Please, let me say this. Thank you, Ace, for saving my life and being a kind stranger," she smiled and moved finger from his lips.

Ace smirked and put a hand on her head. "No problem, short-stuff," he responded with a snicker. Maia was taken aback and shook his hand off. "How dare you-," Maia started until she heard her name being called. "Oi, Maia!" Riley called, waving his arms. Maia looked past Ace to her ship. "We're leaving now!" he yelled. "Okay, I'll be right there," Maia yelled back and then she looked up at Ace, who's expression quickly switched to an easy grin. But there was a look on his face before that caught Maia's attention. _Was that disappointment?_ Maia asked herself. Then she shook her head. _It was probably relief because he knows this awkward conversation is over. _"Well, I guess that's my cue to get going," Maia said, dismayed that she would have to leave the attractive man. "Yeah, right. I have to leave too anyway," Ace replied, scratching his raven haired head. Neither of them moved from their spots. "Well... bye Ace. It was nice meeting you, and thank you. Again," she laughed before stepping around Ace and walking in the direction of her ship. "Maia," he called when she had gotten a few feet away. "Hm?" she asked raising an eyebrow. _What else does he need to say? _She questioned. "How old are you?" Ace asked randomly. "Seventeen," Maia answered, confused as to why he wanted to know such a thing when they would never see each other again. "Oh, okay," he said before turning to undo the rope that tethered his pirate ship to the harbor. Maia opened her mouth to say something, then closed it and continued on her way to her ship. She stopped when she heard the sound of a sail catching wind. She put her hands over her eyes and watched as the Spade Pirates set sail towards the open sea in the opposite direction Maia and her crew were headed. She saw Ace waving at her and she waved back, grinning. She then continued on towards her ship, the sun sinking lower in the sky. _It's too bad, I'll never see him again,_ she thought as the sun landed on the horizon.

* * *

Jeez, what an awkward conversation. Hopefully their later conversations will be less difficult xD

**Bad News: **We won't be seeing Ace again for a little bit( I predict he'll be back around in Chapters 7 or 8, possibly 9) **Good News: **We'll be learning about Maia's job next chapter, so woot! And the next chapter is appropriately titled **Work. **I hope to have it out later this week, but I'm not really sure that's possible with school and volleyball tournaments coming up. But I'll try.

BTW: I almost cried when I saw episode 482. I was screaming at the computer screen the whole episode "Just keep going, Ace! Don't stop!"

_Adios. Review. And thank you to all who have already._


	5. Work

_If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden_

**- Claudia Ghandi**

* * *

**Work**

As the container of concealer hit the floor, so did Maia. "Ugh!" she groaned, burying her curly head between her knees in nothing but a pink silk bathrobe. She immediately heard footsteps running up the stairs and sighed to herself before slamming against the bathroom door in her father's home in Marineford to keep Joseph from barging in. She reached up and locked it. He pushed up against the door, shaking the doorknob. "Go away, Joseph!" she shouted.

"Maia? Are you alright? I heard something hit the floor! Did you collapse?" he asked, worry outlining his voice. Maia rolled her eyes. _If I collapsed, then how could I have just told you to go away? _she thought, annoyed at his melodramatics. "I'm fine, Joseph. I just dropped some makeup," she replied. More like threw it to the floor in complete frustration. But she didn't want to tell Joseph that because then he would go all Mr. Psychiatrist on her and she didn't feel like talking about her feelings right now.

She waited to hear his footsteps retreat but all she heard was his quiet breathing, probably trying to make her think he already left. With another sigh, she stood, picking up the concealer and putting it back on the bathroom counter, already littered with other beauty products. She took the applicator brush and put it gently to the fading bruise on the left side of her pretty face. "Ugh!" she grunted again throwing down the applicator and stomping out of the bathroom to the joint bedroom. She narrowly avoided Joseph who nearly fell into her. Maia threw herself down on the queen-sized bed and covered her hands with her face, saying nothing. Joseph recovered and stood at her feet, waiting patiently.

"My bruise isn't going away! No matter how much concealer I put on it. Ugh!" she whined. "Let me see," he compelled quietly. Rather quickly, Maia uncovered her face, then hid it again. "Maia?" Joseph called her gently. No response. "Maia?" he called again, crossing his thin arms. "Hm?" she responded. "I didn't see anything," he told her, sitting on the bed, looking at her intently. "Well, its _there_. I _see _it. You're probably just losing your eyesight because you're getting old," she said nonchalantly. Joseph stiffened. "Hey, I'm not that old! I'm barely older than your father," he defended himself, getting angry. Then he took a breath to calm himself down. "Now I know you're upset about something else. You don't insult people unless you're trying to change the subject," he said matter-of-factually. "So why don't you tell me what the _real_ problem is?"

Maia threw her hands down and looked at Joseph with a scowl. "Damn you! Why do you have to know me so well?" she yelled at him. He smiled, amused. "I've practically raised you since you were 3, Maia. If I didn't know you by now, how would I have gotten this far?" he asked with a chuckle. "Watch your mouth by the way," he added in complete seriousness. Maia popped up and walked over to the lounge chair by the window and sat down. She opened the blinds, then closed them, allowing sunlight into the room, making her golden hair seem to glow. She repeated this "I'm scared, Joseph," she stated softly. "Because you're afraid of what the Gorousei will say about your proposal?" he guessed.

Maia nodded, then frowned. She was extremely anxious about the Gorousei's reply to her idea Peace for Pirates. It would allow pirates who have not committed any crimes whatsoever to roam about freely, so long as they stay crime-free. Maia knew that there two types of pirates in the world. There were the ones like the Rackgang Pirates who committed the worst possible crimes. And the Kid Pirates who caused mass civilian deaths in their wake. She wanted those guys put away as soon as possible. But the kind of pirates Maia was thinking of when she came up with Peace for Pirates were the ones who became pirates for the adventure, the journey. The kind that helped people instead of destroying them. _Like Mr. Shanks and his crew, _Maia thought, remembering the funny red-headed man._ Or Ace, _she recollected, blushing at the thought of the handsome young pirate. _They don't deserve to be hounded by the Government because they decided to set sail on a ship and raise a Jolly Roger. They haven't done anything wrong or illegal. I think, _Maia assumed. _Besides, there are World Nobles and Marine Captains who behave worst then some pirates! But what if they don't care? What if all the __Gorousei care about is their Absolute Justice? _Maia was so deep in her thoughts she didn't even notice Joseph was speaking.

"Well, the worst thing they can do is say no, right?" he questioned. "Maia?" She jumped and then looked at Joseph. "Huh?" she responded, snapped out of her inner conversation. He rolled his eyes. "I _said, _the worst thing thing they can do is say no, right?" he repeated. Maia shrugged. "Or they can just accuse me of being a traitor and sentence me to death," she said indifferently with a sarcastic smile. He glared at her. "Don't joke like that!" he commanded. Maia laughed and stood up.

"Is dad up yet?" Maia asked, walking over to her bedroom closet and leafing through the clothes. Joseph looked uneasy. "Well?" Maia asked, holding a white dress to her body. "Your father left this morning for the Naval base in Drum Kingdom. There's some kind of riot going on there or something," he said hastily, looking down at his feet. Maia froze momentarily. "So he couldn't even wake me up to say goodbye?" she asked, her voice tight. "I'm sure he wanted to Maia. It was just last minute-," Maia held up her hand. "Get out. I need to get dressed," she said coolly. "Maia, he must be really sorry that he missed you-," he attempted to reason. Maia whirled around, her face furious. "I SAID GET OUT!"

* * *

Two large men escorted Maia as she made her way to the conference room in the main building at the base in Marineford. Maia's heart fluttered as she stepped into the elevator. _What if they so no? I hope they don't say no, _she thought, biting her lip out of habit. She spent the whole night before preparing her report and her proposal and hoped the Gorousei would at least hear her out.

The elevator opened up and Maia stepped into a dimly lit narrow hallway. Her escorts stepped out as well and stood waiting by the elevator as Maia made her way down the hallway. She briefly checked her appearance on one of the mirrors hanging on the wall. Her gold hair was up, the tight curls wrapped in a tight bun. Her eyes were framed by thick eyelashes coated with mascara, making her gold eyes even more vivid. Red lip gloss coated her plump lips. Long, dangly gold earrings hung from her ears. The bruise, which was already yellowing, appeared nonexistent. A golden necklace with a heart charm was wrapped around her slender neck. Her outfit consisted of a navy blue spaghetti strap top that was tucked into a white skirt that reached right above her knees. Her legs were covered by black stockings and she wore navy closed-toe pumps. _At least I look like I'm supporting the Marines in this outfit, _she had thought when she pulled it out of her closet.

Maia continued walking until she a metal door. She slid her I.D. Badge through the slot and waited. She looked up and saw a small surveillance Den Den Mushi fixated on her. When she raised her hand suddenly, it's eyes followed it. Maia laughed, then yelped when the door suddenly slid open. She walked to the platform in the middle of the room. The platform was surrounded in a circle by rows of seats. Maia stared at the northern wall anxiously, shifting from foot to foot. Five screens popped up, each with a member of the Gorousei on it. Maia's breath caught. This happened every time because Maia did not know how to address them. Her father simply told her to refer to them as one, but her mind blanked whenever she was them. She had her own nickname for each of them, an insider she shared with Riley.

"Maia, it is good to see you again," Bald Samurai greeted her with a smile. She bowed and smiled back. "It is good to see you as well," she said. Each one of them had their own greeting to her. Blondie said smiled at her and said hello politely but Maia could tell he was always looking at her chest. Birthmark simply grunted his hello, and Longbeard would stroke his beard and nod. Last, but not least, Maia's favorite Elder, Dread Head, would have the most lively response. He would sit for a second his eyes closed as if he was asleep, then he would pop up and say "How are you doing Maia? Well? That's great, that's great," before closing his eyes again.

After the formalities were finished, Birthmark got right to the point. "We were very pleased to hear that negotiations with Ilusia Kingdom went well," he began, flipping through some papers. "We have been trying very hard for them to agree in our terms and even our most experienced negotiators had trouble with this," he continued. Maia stayed silent. Her father had told her not speak unless they asked her a direct question or to say thank you. "Though you have only had this job for about 2 years now, you have shown yourself to be an exemplary employee," Longbeard persisted, stroking his long white beard. _Get to the point old man! _Maia thought, though she said, "Thank you, sir," politely "So we, as a group, have decided," he paused. _Get on with it all ready! _Blondie was as impatient as Maia was. He rolled his eyes. "We've decided to promote you Lieutenant Negotiator," he blurted out. Maia gasped, then grinned. "Thank you, so, so much!" she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the dark room. She covered her mouth, shocked at her own outburst. Dread Head jumped, then closed his eyes again. Blondie smiled and Birthmark peered at her. The other two had no reaction at all.

"We already have your first assignment," Bald Samurai said with a gentle smile. "You are to personally give Portgas D. Ace, a rookie pirate on the seas an invitation to join the Shichibukai," Longbeard ordered. Maia gaped at the screens. "Why do you seem so surprised? Did you not just meet the man on your way back here, Maia?" Birthmark asked rudely. "Well, yes. But I-," Maia started, but Birthmark cut in. "Then surely you should not have a problem this. If I am correct, he was the one who rescued you from the Rackgang Pirates?" he inquired. "Yes, but-," he interrupted her again. "Then he is perfect for the job. Those pirates had been a thorn in our side for the longest and now their gone. Portgas is just the type of man we are looking for," he said, stacking the papers on his desk. "Now, you have had a long journey. Rest a bit. But we want you out on the seas in three weeks time," Longbeard said sternly. "Yes sir," Maia replied. "We have business to return to," Blondie said. "But we'll expect to see you back here in 2 months time, understood?" Maia saluted them and and said "Yes, sir,". "Good. See you then," he said before reaching getting up to leave as well as the other Gorousei. "Wait!" Maia yelled. The looked at her, eyes wide. She bit her lip. "I, uh, was wondering if you got the chance to look at my proposal?" she asked, laughing nervously. Longbeard looked at her."The Peace for Pirates proposal?" he asked, looking through his papers. "Yes sir," she replied. "We did, Miss Maia, and it was quite funny. Things are always stressful around here, so its nice to have a good laugh every once in a while," Blondie chuckled. "Remember, 2 months," Dread Head piped up before his screen shut off. One by one the rest of the screens went black, leaving Maia blind and humiliated.

* * *

_Aw, poor Maia. All she wants is peace. Is that so bad? I love the Gorousei's nicknames. In case you didn't know which was which, it refers to their physical features._

_The good news is Ace will be back soon and we just learned a lot about Maia._

_It was a long chapter and I spent a WHOLE DAY writing it. So your welcome. Reviews would be mucho appreciated after all this hard work. Adios!_


	6. Kiss

Absence makes thy heart grow fonder

**-Unknown**

* * *

**Kiss**

The clanking of glasses and the shouts of congratulations was all you could hear coming from the bar in Marineford. Maia and her crew mates sat at a large round table in the middle of the bar. "Congratulations Maia!," her crew members shouted, holding glass jugs of beer and putting them together. Maia lifted her own glass of water and toasted to herself, though she was in no kind of mood for a celebration. The Gorousei's utter rejection of her proposal made her depressed. All she wanted to was leave the building and crawl into bed and wake up three weeks later when it was time for her to leave. When she walked out of the building, however, the scene that greeted her caused her to choke up. 'Congratulations Lieutenant Negotiator' was spelled out on a white banner with blue paint and it was held by her crew. All of them. She ran down the concrete steps and hugged each and every one of them tightly. By then she was crying and graciously thanked them. Someone ruined her happiness by suggesting they go to a bar. She wanted to say no, but they carried her to the bar on their shoulders.

Now the drinking of beer continued and Maia wished she could slip out without being noticed. But she didn't need to. Two Marine officers walked in and said "Curfew is approaching. You all should be heading home now,". After a few grumbles and mutters of protest from the group, they exited into the warm night. "Hey, congrats Maia. You deserve this promotion," Demetri slurred, putting a muscular arm around her small shoulders when they were outside. "Thanks, Demetri. Stumble home safe," she said, pushing him in the direction of his house. "Yeah, Maia. Your like... the best at this job," Ed declared. "Thanks Eddy. Good night," Maia replied with a smile. The rest of them made their way into the streets and stumbled in various directions. Maia took a breath. _I guess it's time for me to head home as well, _she thought, taking a step forward. She suddenly felt herself being jerked around. She opened her mouth to scream, but a large hand capped it. "Maia! Shh! It's me, Riley. Relax!" he whispered before pulling her into the camouflage of the alleyway. "Mmph!" Maia groused, stamping her little feet. "What?" he asked, confused. Maia ripped his hand from her mouth, pissed. "I said let go, asshole! Who do you think you are putting your hand-," Riley's hand enclosed her mouth again. He put a finger to his lips. "Sh. Now follow me," he demanded, pulling her along the alleyway. Maia raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. Riley removed his hand and instead grabbed her hand. They traveled through the dark alleyways, avoiding the curfew enforcers.

They stopped when they reached the beach. "Why are we here?" Maia asked, tired and baffled. Riley pointed to a blanket on the beach with a little oil lamp on it. "I just thought we could have a nice conversation here instead of the bar. I know much the beach relaxes you," he said, with a slight blush on his cheeks. Maia smiled. "Riley, we can just talk another time. We have plenty of time and besides its about to be past curfew," Maia told him, grabbing his hand. But Riley stood still, looking a bit nervous. "There's just something really important that I have to tell you," he said, looking down at his feet. "Well, just hurry up and tell me so we don't get into trouble," Maia rushed him. She hated breaking the rules. It just went against the way her father raised her, when he was around anyway. "I would really like it if we could sit down for this," he pleaded. Maia looked around. None of the curfew enforcers were around. "Fine, but we need to hurry," she said.

Riley grinned and pulled her to the blanket. "Thanks," she said when he helped her down. "No problem," he said as he plopped down next to her. Maia unhooked her heels and tossed them aside. She stared at Riley who seemed content to just be sitting there. "Riley?" Maia called. "Hm?" he said clicking his feet together. "You had something to say...?" she suggested. "Oh right! So how did your meeting go?" he questioned.

Maia groaned. "If this is what you want to talk about, can we just talk about it tomorrow? I don't even want to think about it right now," she said, covering her face with her hands. "I take it they said no?" he guessed. Maia shook her head. "No. They thought it was a joke," she said. "Jeez, that sucks. Oh, well. I guess pirates will always be hunted down for being criminals," he added nonchalantly. Maia lifted up her hands. "How can you say that, Riley? Not all of them all criminals and there are Government officials who do much worse," Maia argued, taken aback by his attitude. He was usually so sympathetic. Other than Joseph, he was the only one who she told about her proposal and before he had seemed so supportive. "But that's all for the greater good," he argued back. "Enslaving people is worse than raising a flag and saying 'Argh, I'm a pirate, argh'?" she countered, sitting up to leave. "Wait, I'm sorry. It doesn't even matter to me because that's not what I wanted to talk to you about anyway," he grabbed her wrist, urging her to sit back down. She rolled her eyes but sat down. "What do you _really _need to say Riley?" she asked, a bit irritated with the young adult.

He suddenly looked nervous and Maia frowned. _What's wrong with him? He's not usually so agitated, _she thought to herself. His usual twinkly blue eyes were dark and his tan face was downcast. At one point Maia had a crush on him, but it was nothing more than a school girl's infatuation. Besides he had a girlfriend, a gorgeous girl he had been dating since they were teenagers. "Riles, what's wrong," Maia called him by his nickname. She was closest to Riley on the ship and they got along great. He smiled a little before it turned back into a frown. "Allison and I broke up," he declared. Maia gasped. "Why? What happened? I'm so sorry, Riley," Maia said apologetically, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. _I can't believe Allison would do this to poor Riley! He looks so upset, _Maia thought.

Riley shrugged. "I don't know. Distance finally got to us I guess. Price I pay for wanting to be a Marine, huh?" he asked bitterly. "No!" Maia exclaimed, shaking her head."It doesn't have to be that way. I'm sure if you really want to work it out, it will in the end, Riles," she said. Riley suddenly looked at her, a look in his eyes Maia didn't recognize.

"What if I don't want to work it out?" he asked, sitting up and turning towards Maia. "Wha- what? Why wouldn't you want to fix your relationship? I'm sure if Allison knew you were still in love with her she would-," Maia stopped when Riley held up his hand. "I don't want to be with Allison anymore," he stated, looking at Maia with intense blue eyes. Maia's gold eyes widened and she began to feel uncomfortable. "But I thought-," she began, but Riley interrupted her. "Allison ended things? No, I did," he said nonchalantly. Maia opened her mouth to say something but Riley put a finger to her red lips. "Distance was the problem. It was a problem because I wanted to be with someone much, much closer to me," he whispered, leaning his face closer to hers. It took Maia a second to grasp onto the meanings of his words and actions. "Oh," was all she could say. He smiled and caressed her cheek with his hand, gently pulling it closer to his face until their lips met.

A dozen thoughts and emotions flew through her head the moment their lips touched. _I shouldn't be doing this! But if I pull away that might be rude. He has a girlfriend. __**Had **__a girlfriend. He's my best friend. Why can't you be more than friends? This doesn't feel... right. How would you know, it's your first kiss? _Maia's mind was tangled up like Christmas lights and she didn't know what do. So she went limp, waiting for him to stop. She allowed his lips to move against hers but put forth no effort of her own. Finally, about a minute later, Riley pulled back, staring into her eyes with his previous intensity. She smiled and he grinned back. "That was amaz-," he started to say before Maia, in one quick motion, scooped up her shoes and began to sprint towards the city. "Wait! Where are you going?" he yelled after her, getting up as well. "Home!" she yelled back. "Thanks for the kiss!"

* * *

_Maia totally just dissed him. Oh well, she had her first kiss how cute._

_I know I said don't expect another chapter for like 2 more weeks, but I had a long weekend._

_Adios. REVIEW! *Expect Chapter 7 in about a week, possibly more*_


	7. Advice

You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel."

**-Unknown**

**Advice**

* * *

Maia sprinted the whole way home, carefully avoiding the curfew enforcers. When she got there, she saw that no lights were on. _Joseph must not be home yet, _she thought. Still, she opened the door cautiously slow and peaked in. _Coast is clear. _Maia ran up the wooden stairs and into her bedroom. She slammed the door shut and leaned against it, taking the time to catch her breath. _Riley just kissed me, Riley just kissed me, Riley just kissed me, _she thought with each breath. She dropped her heels on the floor and made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and steam began to fill the room. She quickly stripped and got in, enjoying the hot water as it washed off the sand and makeup, cleansing her skin.. _Your best friend likes you, your best friend likes you, _ran through her head. She washed her hair and got out. Maia dried off and wrapped a purple towel around her naked body. She walked over to the sink and wiped the collected steam of the mirror, analyzing herself.

"You don't look any different," Maia said aloud, twisting her body side to side. _You're still short. You still have blonde curly hair, _she told herself, though she noted happily her hair was edging towards less curly and more wavy. She sighed and walked out of the bathroom, throwing herself belly first onto her bed, her head on a pillow. _Then why do I feel different? _Maia asked. Her heart and mind were going in two opposite directions. Her mind was saying the kiss felt right, but her heart was saying it didn't like it at all. She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the kiss. Riley was leaning in, staring at her with his gorgeous blue eyes. Her heart was hammering and she couldn't believe this was about to happen. And with Riley of all people! He put his hand on her cheek, gently pulling her face to his. Their lips touched and Maia automatically puckered her lips, like she saw in the movies. Her thoughts became jumbled in her head and all she could think about was the contact between their lips...

"Did it feel nice?" a familiar high pitched voice asked. Maia groaned. "Go away, mom," she said, peeking her eyes open to see her mother laying on the pillow next to her, staring at her. Her mother's face went from a smile to a frown. "Is that anyway to talk your mommy?" she inquired, pinching Maia on her arm. "Ow, and yes! Your _lucky_ I even call you mom. You died when I was 4," Maia sassed. "Young lady, I am your biological mother, no matter how long ago I... left you," she declared, her voice angry but not matching her smiling face. "Yeah, yeah," Maia rolled her eyes. Her mother jumped up and sat on her knees, her straight platinum blonde hair bouncing with every movement.. "So, you didn't answer my question. Did it feel nice?" her mother repeated, gushing. Maia sighed. "Yeah, mom. I guess so," she answered, putting a hand over her eyes.

_Why does this always happen? Why do I always think of you when something big happens? _Maia questioned, peeking at her mother from between her fingers. Her mother appeared to be happy, looking thoughtful at Maia's words. _I don't even know what you were really like. For all I know you could have been really mean and cranky. _She turned her head towards a picture on her nightstand of her and her mother. It was in black and white. Maia was a still a chunky little baby, reaching up for her mother while laying on a changing table, naked. The smile on her little face was wide and toothless. Her mother leaned over, both hands on either side of the table. Her long silver hair fell over her shoulder, reaching down to Maia's belly. Her mother also wore a grin on her face, a hand reaching towards Maia as if to tickle her. It was the only picture Maia carried with her on the seas. _No, she was the best mother alive, _Maia decided.

"Maia!" her mother shouted, snapping her out of her reverie. "Huh?" Maia responded. Her mom rolled her hazel brown eyes. "Jeez kid. You sure know how to space out. I asked is the boy cute?" she continued. At this point Maia's mother reminded her of a gossiping teenager. "Well, I guess," Maia replied blushing. Her mother grabbed her by the shoulders. "C'mon kid! You've got to give me more than 'I guess so', or 'I guess'! I want some details. What does he look like?" she asked eagerly, bobbing up and down. Maia looked at her mother warily. "Well, he's tan and he has brown hair, and-" Maia's mom sighed putting a hand to her heart. "He sounds just like your father," she swooned and Maia wanted to throw up. "Like I was saying before I puked in my mouth little, he has brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes," Maia commended dreamily. "Ooh, sounds like you're in love," her mother whispered, smiling. Maia gave a disbelieving look to her mother. _Woah. _"Mom, I just had my first kiss. I can't even begin to think about love," Maia declared. "Why not? That's all I thought about when I was your age," she claimed, a faraway look in her eyes. Maia shifted uncomfortably. "Because... Riley is my best friend. I'm not even sure if I _want_ to be in love with him," she said, looking down and blushing.

Her mother lifted her chin up to make Maia look in her in the eye. "Do you like this boy?" she asked seriously. Maia flinched under her mother's gaze. "Yes," she answered quietly, not lying. "Then go for it. Don't worry about the love stuff now. I was a stupid girl. But you have to give it a try, because if you don't you'll end up regretting it later sweetie," her mother advised her, taking Maia into her arms. Maia began to cry. "But what if it doesn't work out? What if he breaks my heart?"she asked. Maia's mother began to fade, though Maia could still feel her hold. "Just know that there is someone there to pick up the pieces. He may be faraway or right in front of you. Just be open to whatever comes your way," she said, her voice fading out as she continued to disappear. "Please don't leave me again," Maia whispered pleadingly. Her mother smiled apologetically at her but said nothing as she vanished. Maia fell forward, her head sinking into the bed, sobbing.

* * *

_**Aw, Maia misses her mommy. **_


	8. Monster

"_If you have to think about whether you love someone or not then the answer is no. When you love someone you just know."_

_**-Janice Markowitz**_

_**

* * *

**_

**Monster**

Maia burst into her home in Marineford, slamming the door behind her. "Maia?" Joseph called from the kitchen. She said nothing, and sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She stopped and leaned against the door, breathing hard. Tears fell down her dirt smeared face and ran into the small cuts on her lips, making them sting. There was a soft knock at her door, and Joseph asked gently, "Maia? Are you all right?"

She covered her mouth to choke back a sob and shook her head.

"I'm fine, Joseph," she lied shakily. She limped into the bathroom.

"You don't sound fine, Maia," Joseph stated. "Tell me what's wrong!"

Maia stared blankly at herself in the mirror, the tears blurring her vision. She flexed her swollen left wrist and flinched at the pain. She squeezed the bathroom counter.

"Maia!" Joseph yelled, pulling on the door.

Maia continued to look at herself, ignoring him. She touched the gash on her forehead and shuddered at the blood. _How could he do this to me? How could I let him do this to me? _Maia questioned, sobbing quietly.

* * *

The night had started out very well. Riley had taken her to a beautiful cliff side restaurant with an amazing view of the moon.

Riley laughed at the sour expression on Maia's face. "Isn't it delicious?" he asked sarcastically.

Maia struggled to wipe the grimace off her face and put on a convincing smile. "Yeah, it's um,delectable," she replied as she washed the taste of the English pea soup out of her mouth with a huge gulp of water. Riley raised an eyebrow.

Maia sighed. "All right. It tasted _awful_. How can you eat this stuff?" she asked, gesturing to the empty bowl with remains of a thick green juice converged at the bottom.

Riley shrugged. "This was my mother's specialty when my brothers and me were kids. She was convinced that vegetables were the only thing that could make you a strong and healthy young man. Sports and my dad disagreed. I went to live with him when I was nine and believe me when I say he was more carnivore than man," we both laughed. "But I'll tell ya," he continued, "Once I got a taste of meat, I never looked at a vegetable as lovingly."

Maia laughed again and Riley's hand reached for hers, caressing it. Maia blushed "I can't wait for you to meet them," he stated with a smile. Maia cocked her head to side.

"Who?" she asked, taking a sip of water.

Riley rolled his eyes. "My parents, silly," he said. "I've told them all about you. They said they want to meet you as soon as we're done with this next assignment," he added.

Maia choked on her water and coughed. Riley immediately stood up and patted her back. "Maia, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. She held up her hand. "I'm fine," she coughed. "I just inhaled too much water."

Riley sat back down and continued holding her hand.

Maia pulled it back and sighed. "Riley, we have to talk," she stated, looking him in the eye.

"What about?" he asked nonchalantly, concealing the hurt from when Maia pulled her hand away.

"About the fact that I think this is moving way too fast," she said quietly. Riley gazed at her. He didn't say anything, so she continued.

"I like you, Riley. I do. I just think that we should slow down. I mean, we've only been going out about a month now. Doesn't it seem a bit too early for me to meeting your parents?" she inquired.

"No," Riley replied blankly.

Maia stared at him in shock. "No?" she repeated.

"Yeah, I said no. This a mute point. I've already met your father, so what's wrong with you meeting mine?" he asked, scowling. Maia cringed at his sudden change in attitude.

"You're right. That is a mute point because you met my dad because you work for him. And you met him before we even started dating," she retorted.

Riley glared at her. "Allison met my dad and I met her parents on our first date," he stated coldly.

"I'm not Allison!" Maia exclaimed.

Riley's fist slammed on the table, causing Maia to jump. The restaurant patrons stared at their table.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Maia whispered incredulously.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _me?_" he yelled. He abruptly stood up and grabbed Maia's wrist, pulling her to her feet. He reached into his pocket and threw a few bills on the table. He started pulling Maia along. When they reached the door, the host intercepted Riley.

"What's your problem?" Riley demanded angrily. The host didn't look fazed though he was a bit shorter than Riley. Maybe he had dealt with this kind of aggression before.

"I'm going to have to ask you to remove your hold of this young woman," he commanded politely.

Riley let go of Maia and shoved the host to the side, making him crash into the glass podium.

"Riley!" Maia gasped and squatted down to help the man. "Sir, are okay?" she asked before being yanked to her feet again. "Let's go!" Riley growled.

He pulled her through the door into the warm night. He then practically dragged her down the cliff.

"Riley, stop! You're hurting me! Let go!" she yelled. She looked around, but it appeared nobody was following them. Riley huffed and puffed, murmuring angrily. Maia tried to pull away but found it hard resist his strength in heels. So she bit him. "Ow!" Riley exclaimed, and turned to glare murderously at her. It was a look Maia didn't recognize on his good-looking face. He looked... like an animal. Like a monster.

"You want me to let go? Fine!" he yelled and flung her with all his strength. She was airborne for a few seconds, then hit the ground with tremendous force. She rolled about fifty feet before coming to a complete stop. She didn't move.

Riley stood where he was, staring at his hands in shock. "Did I? How could I?" he asked in disbelief. He then looked at Maia and started towards her. "Maia?" he called quietly.

Maia didn't move, the shock of what happened to her vibrating through her body. _Riley just-. He just-" _she was unable to finish her thought as pain echoed throughout her body. She coughed out some blood. She flexed her wrists and ankles and winced. The wrist Riley was holding was throbbing and her right ankle appeared to be swelling. She put her other hand to her face and felt some blood on her forehead.

"Maia?" she heard Riley say. She didn't respond or move. She heard him drop to his knees beside her. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Maia listened to him choke back a sob. "You're going to be okay though. I'm gonna go get help," he said as he stood and started for the road.

Maia waited until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. Then painfully got to her knees with her good arm. _Ow, ow, ow, ow, _she thought with each movement. She took a deep breath and stood up, careful not to put any weight on her bad ankle. She winced at the pain in her chest. She looked around and decided she needed to get home soon or Joseph would be wondering where she was. She chose to take a short cut through the plains and took off her heels. _Everything hurts so much. My head, my body, and my heart, _she thought as she strode through the tall grass. _This wasn't the Riley I knew tonight. This wasn't my Riles, _she thought sadly.

She saw the lights of her house and stopped. _How am I going to get past Joseph like this? _She thought, looking at her ruined short violet dress. She decided to just run in, hoping she could get in her room fast enough to keep Joseph out. She waited till she got to the porch, then sprinted into the house, ignoring the pain caused by the man who claimed to love her.

* * *

Maia continued to look at herself in the bathroom mirror as tears blurred her vision. She fell on the bathroom floor and sobbed.

"Maia?" Joseph repeated over and over; his voice was getting hoarse.

Maia reached her limit. "What do you want, Joseph? Can't you see I just want to be alone right now? She demanded.

"I guessed as much," he said quietly. "And I will leave you alone. I just think that you should know that tomorrow we have to leave."

Maia stopped crying. "What for?"

"Some government officials have spotted Portgas D. Ace's ship. We have to leave first thing in the morning," he told her.

_Ace? _Maia thought, her cheeks heating up at the thought of the handsome young man. "Why so soon?"

"The island they were spotted by is close, but not by much. They appeared to be looking to dock their ship, but they saw our ships in the harbor so they kept going. We have to leave soon or we won't get a chance like this for a while," he said.

"Thanks, Joseph," she said. She heard him sigh and walk away.

Maia painfully stood up and took off her dress, leaving her in a bra and panties. She gingerly touched her ribs and tried not to flinch. _Not my ribs, too. This is going to be hard to play off._

She groaned and laid on her bed, hoping tonight was just a nightmare and tomorrow would be a new, brighter day.

* * *

_Yes, this is a new chapter. Yes, it took me all day to write. Yes, I want you all to **review** to tell me how much you loved/hated it. It would be **mucho** appreciated._

_ACE IS BACK NEXT CHAPTER! and a few more chapters after that and we'll be seeing how Maia is coping with being abused by Riley. I don't when I'll have the next chapter out. Probably 2/27, but it depends on how many reviews I get : P_

_So adios. **Please review**. It's to me as cola is to Franky._


	9. Forgiven

_True burns the brightest, but the brightest flames leave the deepest scars_

_**Unknown**_

_**

* * *

**_

**Forgiven**

The sun was high in the sky and Maia was soaking in all its warmth. _Oh yeah. This is my kind of weather, _she purred, leaning against the railing at the back end of the ship. She stood in a small, concealed area with just enough sunlight to read. She took a deep breath, enjoying the ocean's salty scent and taste. _When I die, I want to be cremated, _she decided. _So my ashes can be spread here, my favorite place in the whole world. _

Maia stared longingly at the blue surface, wishing she could jump into its cool contents. She flexed her left wrist and winced. "Damn it," she whispered.

After a few days on the ship, Maia figured that the pain in her wrist would have subsided and it had to an extent. She could lift slightly heavier things without flinching, but the all writing she had been doing working on her proposal for Ace had been hindering the healing process. Her ribs and ankle was a whole another story. Maia hadn't gotten either checked out, for fear of Joseph's reaction and Riley's consequences. If her father found out what he had done to her... Maia shivered.

She sat on the railing and carefully removed her right brown boot, trying not to touch her ankle. She unwrapped the bandage from around it and stared at the swollen mess. Purple, blue, and red converged at the joint and it was expanded three times its size. Maia gaped at it. It seemed to have grown since she saw it that morning. _Definitely sprained, _she deduced, touching it gingerly. She iced it only at night when nobody expected her to be out and about on the ship. Maia not being outside during beautiful weather was an oddity. It was even more odd to see her outside in sweat pants. But she didn't have a choice. Nobody could know what happened to her until she knew why it happened.

Maia had been avoiding Riley ever since they set sail a week and a half ago. She didn't know what to say to him or what he would say to her.

She remembered his face when he... attacked her. He glared at her with so much anger and hate. It was almost impossible to recognize his usually sweet features. She hadn't ever been so afraid of him.

"On the other hand," she murmured to herself. _He only did it because I had hurt him first. Not physically, but emotionally when I rejected his plan to meet his parents, _Maia thought guiltily. _It obviously hurt his feelings. _She bit her lip and looked towards the sky. _Got any advice for me now, mom?_

Her stomach growled loudly and Maia sighed. She'd been skipping meals, part of her plan to dodge Riley. "You're right," she said, patting her stomach, "Let's go get some food."

She left her little space and walked along the edge of the deck towards the dining room. She had her hand on the knob when it turned and opened itself. Maia's breath caught.

On the other side of the door stood Riley, a matching surprised expression on his face. His mouth opened to say something but no words came out. Maia backed away and turned, headed for her room.

"Maia! Wait! Please, wait!" he shouted as he tried to catch up with her. She didn't acknowledge him and continued walking even faster the narrow walkway

_Go away please, _she silently begged him. _Please just_ _leave me alone._

She made it to the main deck when he caught her. It was empty because everyone else was eating lunch.

"Maia," he breathed, stopping in front of her. She took a step back and looked at the floor. "Just hear me out, okay?" he asked. She continued to stare at the floor, saying nothing.

Riley took a deep breath. "About the other night... I don't know what came over me and there is no excuse for what I did to you," he began apologetically. "It was a side of me you've never seen before and one that I'm not used to. I'm so sorry, Maia. It's just that, I love you so much." Maia looked at him finally and her eyes were wet. "You love me?" she asked quietly. Riley grinned and took her small hands in his large ones. "Of course. I want us to be together and I want for people to know we're together. That's why I was pushing you meeting my parents so hard. And that's the reason why I wanted to take you out in more public spaces instead of the beach or the movies," he insisted, his blue eyes glowing.

Maia studied his face, the sincerity of it and the way he smiled at her, like if she forgave him, he'd be the happiest man in the world. She sighed and took her hands out of Riley's. He frowned.

"Riley, if you want me to forgive you, things are going to have to change," she warned. He nodded eagerly and lifted her into his arms, squeezing her. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" he stuttered, twirling the petite girl around. Maia cried out and Riley stopped spinning and put her down, a concerned look shadowing his face.

"What? What's wrong?"

Maia was holding on to herself tightly, biting her lip as if not to cry.

Riley gasped. "Are you hurting… because of what I did to you before?" he guessed. Maia shook her head a tear rolled down her face. "I'm fine. It just hurts a little sometimes," she lied. Riley grabbed her hand. "Come on. We gotta get you checked out," he said, pulling her along gently with him. "No!" she protested. "Joseph can't know!"

Riley grimaced. "He has to. You can't go around walking around injured Maia. What if there's something really wrong with you? Besides, it's time I owned up to what I did," he said seriously.

"But-," Riley interrupted her. "No, buts Maia. Now let's get go," he commanded softly, tugging on her arm. Maia winced.

"Riley, please don't pull so hard," she commented quietly. Riley looked at her wrist which was a bit puffy and red. He swallowed hard and continued walking towards the infirmary.

There was suddenly a loud explosion sound and Maia looked to the skies. She gasped. "Riley, look out!" she screamed as a huge cannonball flew their way. She jumped towards him and pushed him out of the way with her body clinging to him. The cannonball fell right through the deck; the only audible sounds were screeching metal and Maia's heartbeat banging in her ears. A second cannonball hit the side of the ship and Maia shook with its force. She looked down at Riley, who lay unconscious under her.

"Riley? Riley!" Maia shrieked as she tried to shake him awake. There was a third impact and Maia almost fell over into the hole the first cannonball made. Smoke and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The crew was already running around, shouting orders to each other. "Get your guns! We're under attack! Prepare for battle!" they shouted. A line formed from the artillery room as they passed down guns and swords. She saw the cannonball experts go downstairs to their posts. There was more yelling and Maia heard one voice above all others.

"Maia! Maia, where are you!" she heard Joseph call. She saw his tall figure jogging around frantically. "Joseph! I'm over here! Help, please!" she cried. He looked around before his eyes locked on to Maia's small figure. He was at her side in an instant.

"Maia, are you all right?" he asked worriedly, skimming over her body for injuries.

"I'm fine, Joseph. It's Riley! I think he might be hurt really bad," she said. Joseph checked his pulse under his neck. "He's fine. He's got a pulse and there's no blood loss," he stated calmly. He scooped her up in his arms and walked toward the captain's room. "Joseph, stop! Wait!" she exclaimed. "What about Riley?" Joseph shook his head frantically. "I'm not worried about him at the moment. I'll come back for him after I make sure your safe," he declared, reaching the captain's door. He opened it and gently laid Maia on the bed. "Stay here," he commanded. "I'll be back in a few. Keep this door locked." He locked the door and closed it. "The pirates are on board!" she heard a few Marines shout.

Tears overflowed and Maia sobbed hysterically. _Please let everyone be okay, _she prayed to God._ Please._ Gunshots and the _clink _of the swords clashing was all she could hear. She wished there was something, _anything, _she could do. Another cannonball impact shook the ship. More shouts of pain and horror came from the other side of the door._ Where are you, Joseph, _she wondered nervously. Maia squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, willing it all to go away. She hated needless violence. She believed the only reason anyone should fight is to protect something or someone they love. That's why she agreed to be a negotiator. She wanted peace for everybody. She wanted peace and quiet…

There was a roar. Not an animal roar, but a _whoosh. _Smoke began filling the room from under the door and Maia smelled burning metal. She immediately grabbed the sheets off the bed and put them to her mouth, trying not to inhale the smoke. Suddenly all was quiet outside.

Maia coughed and sputtered. _Is it over? Please let be over, _she begged as she walked slowly towards the door. Her hand was on the knob when it shook violently. Maia skittered back and covered her mouth to keep from screaming. The door knob shook again and Maia looked around for a hiding spot. _Under the bed,_ she decided. She quickly crawled under the bed, abandoning the sheet as it was too long.

She jumped as the door was kicked down. Heavy boots walked slowly over it and stopped. She heard the intruder take a long whiff. He snickered. "Smells like gold in here capt'n!" he exclaimed dumbly. "Grab everything," another male voice commanded him from outside. "Yes sir!"

Maia saw his feet walk over to the captain's closet. She heard him gasp and she almost did too. At the bottom of the floor in the closet was a large treasure chest. It was closed, but gold seemed to be radiating from it. "Oooh how pretty," she heard the intruder murmur. She jumped when she heard the gun shot used to open the lock. She held still as the man paused. He then continued and popped open the treasure chest. She heard him whistle. "Wowl," he whispered. He was running his hands through the gold when a voice interrupted him. "What the hell is taking you so long? Hurry up and grab the treasure so we can get out of here. "Give me a sec. This chest is heavy," the first intruder responded, irritated.

Instead of leaving the room, the smoke seemed to converge even more, making Maia's lungs beg for clean air. She held back a cough. _I have to wait until they leave, _she told her body. _Be patient._ But her lungs were aching.

"We don't have time for this!" the voice yelled angrily. "We've got to go! Just bring the whole damn trunk." The first intruder frowned at the second one. "Will you help me?"

The second intruder rolled his eyes but walked over to help. "One, two," he counted and they both lifted. "This isn't even that heavy," the second intruder claimed. The first one grunted. "Yes sir," he responded. Just as the two were about to walk out the door, they heard a cough. They looked at each other and grinned. They slowly put the treasure chest down and the first intruder pointed to the bed. The second intruder nodded in encouragement. He left the room. The first intruder slowly walked over by the bed. "Look at all these beautiful jewels," he praised quietly. Maia covered her mouth tightly. _Damn it, damn it, damn it, _she cursed. She couldn't hold it in. She braced herself to make a quick escape; she was willing to jump into the ocean if necessary. She held still. There was thump and the intruder was staring at her menacingly. "But I like this one the best!" he yelled with a grin and pulled Maia out from under the bed by her wavy golden hair. She screamed and the intruder hit her, making her fall unconscious.

* * *

Ace smiled to himself as at the gold and jewels that surrounded him gleamed in the sunlight. _Another job well done, _he thought to himself. After defeating the pirate crew that already attacked this ship, he was reaping in their rewards. _Life is good for this Super Rookie, _he thought with a chuckle. "Is that everything?" he asked his first mate, Sutton. The silent muscular man nodded. "Everything is ready to be taken aboard, Captain, he replied in a deep voice. "Good. Let's go everyone," he commanded and turned to hop aboard his ship.

"Captain, wait!" one of the newest crew members shouted, rushing out of a room carrying a huge treasure chest and a white sack, his huge round belly bouncing with each movement. He grinned with wide toothless smile. Ace raised an eyebrow. "What have you got there, Talon?" gesturing to the two objects. "Well," he began, biting his lip, "This is gold and jewels," he explained. "Ace smiled in amusement. "Oh? Then what's in that sack?" he asked.

Talon grinned widely and released the sheet, revealing the short, blonde girl he was holding by the back of the neck. Ace's fist immediately connected with Talon's face. "No!" he roared as he caught the girl. He turned and glared murderously at Talon who was cupping his bleeding nose. "This is not okay!" he shouted at him and Talon cowered away. "And that goes for all of you!" he yelled at the rest of them. He turned his attention to the stirring girl in arms. "Miss, are okay?" he asked softly. Her vivid gold eyes fluttered wide open and Ace gasped. "It's you-," they both said at the same time. Maia opened her mouth to say something, and then her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

* * *

_I am Wonder Woman. Hear me lasso. I want every single person who reads this to __**review**__ just because I had this chapter out in 3 days. You see the review button? It's located right at the bottom of the page and it says __**Review**_**. **_I'd click it if I was you._

_A/N: Make sure you visit my profile page to check on updates for the story often! _

_I wanted Ace to play a bigger role this chapter, but things needed to be disclosed and I wanted a little action. But don't fret loyal readers. Next chapter _I'll_ be dishing out Ace in every direction so it's gonna get a little hot. Wear a bathing suit. It should be out by or before next week today._

_Adios. _**Review!**


	10. Restricted Memory

_A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness._

**John Keats**

* * *

**Restricted Memory**

Maia found herself staring at a brown door. It was any like any ordinary door; tall and firm. Except for the fact that there was no wall connected to the door and it was bounded with thick vinyl ropes, tied into various knots. It was simply a door within the white abyss within Maia's mind. The abyss was all white and seemly endless. Fog appeared to be hovering near the solid ground. Maia breaths made small clouds though it wasn't cold. It wasn't hot either. _Where am I? _Maia wondered, but jumped when her thought boomed over the area like an intercom. _What the hell, how did that-, _once again her thought became an announcement.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud, feeling a bit frightened.

"_Guess," _an omnipresent voice replied

Maia whirled around in all directions, but saw no one.

"Who's there?" she called.

"_Me," _the voice spoke and a shadowy figure appeared in the distance. As it got closer, Maia gasped, recognizing it.

"_Mom?" _she shrieked.

* * *

The pirate tasked with watching the young woman as she lay in his captain's bed was enjoying his own little doze. In his dream, however, the only people in it were him and his fantasized version of Boa Hancock, the most beautiful in the world. Not having actually seen her, he had to make up what he thought the goddess of beauty looked like… and all the naughty stuff she wanted to do to him. His hands were making his way towards his lap when a whimper broke him out of his reverie. His eyes opened slowly and he looked at the sleeping girl. Her position hadn't changed and she appeared to be breathing normally. He closed his eyes and went back to where he left off.

* * *

"What's going on? Where am I? Why am I here? Why are you here? What is this place? W-," Maia's mom's hand smacked over her daughter's mouth. Her mother shook her head, her long pale silky hair moving along with it. "_Too many questions, Maia. One at a time please_," she whispered. She seemed a bit tired and sad.

"Where the hell am I?" Maia asked impatiently.

"_Watch your mouth_," her mother chastened. Maia rolled her eyes.

"_You are in a state of nirvana or tranquility_," her mother explained, her voice sounding a bit distant.

"Why do you sound like you're ghost or something? Talk like you normally do," Maia requested.

"_Because I shouldn't be here Maia. I have to talk like this or else they'll hear me and figure out that I'm here_," her mother hushed.

"Who?" Maia inquired curiously; her mother was dead. Who could come after her now?

Maia's mother tapped her foot impatiently. "_There's no time to explain right now. I wish I could explain to you why you're here, but I can't because I don't even why you're here. And I can't tell you why you shouldn't be here because then that would break the rules and a few promises that were made before you were even born and-_," Maia covered her ears.

"_Stop!" _she shouted at her mother who became still at once. "This doesn't even make any sense. _What the hell are you talking about?"_

"I won't tell you again to watch your mouth, young lady!" her mother threatened angrily, sounding like a normal person. Or how a normal dead person would sound.

They both scowled at each other until Maia finally looked away.

Maia's mother sighed. "_I'm sorry that you're confused honey. But this is the way it has to be."_

Maia bit her lip and whirled to face her mother. "Isn't there anything you can tell me? Am I dead or something and you don't want me to figure it out? Is this Heaven?" Maia's voice broke and she sounded on the edge of tears. Maia's mother took Maia into her arms.

"_No, you're not dead Maia. That I can tell you," _Her mother murmured into her hair.

"Then what's happening?" she moaned into her mother's chest. Her mother was tall and thin; it was a complete contrast from Maia's small and fuller body.

"_I can't tell you… but I can show you something, if you'd like," _her mother suggested.

Maia nodded vigorously. "Please. Anything to help me understand what's going on."

Maia's mother grabbed her hand and led her to the chained door. She stood in front of it for a moment, hesitant. She ran her hand gently along the ropes. That's when something curious began to happen.

The ropes began to glow a menacing red and violently started to shake. There was a hissing noise and the ropes began to tighten, bending the wooden door inwards at an awkward angles. The ropes began to transform into metal and soon surrounding the door, was a nest of steel chains.

Maia gaped at the scene before her. Her mother murmured something along the lines of "impressive."

"What do we do now?" Maia asked her mother.

Her mother gazed at her for a moment before quietly directing Maia to look through the keyhole. "_When you look through the keyhole, you'll see a day. A day you experienced but aren't allowed to remember_. _But you'll only get a peek,"_

"A day I'm not supposed to remember? What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, but her mother just shook her head.

Maia took a deep breath and took a step forward. She bent over and squinted into the small keyhole. The scene in the keyhole was familiar: it was her Marineford home. "Wait, what? This is at home. Why-," her mother hushed her from behind. A thick forest surrounded the house, filled with tall trees and short bushes. Wild animals roamed the ground, scurrying about at the slightest hint of sound. A single straight path led the way to a crossroads. There was a road that led to the Marine HQ; others led to other homes and fields.

Maia felt herself being absorbed into the scene and soon felt the solidness of the path under her feet. Instead of color, everything looked like an old photo.

Maia inspected her new surroundings warily; everything looked the same to her except for the abundance of living flowers in the garden. Whenever Maia was home, she tried her best to give new life to the flower graveyard but being away for months at a time proved this to be a very task to upkeep.

Maia's attention was diverted to front door as it slowly creaked open. A little girl with short curly blonde hair appeared in the doorway, creeping silently through the doorway. Maia immediately recognized the toddler as herself some years back. The younger Maia wore a cute little dress, though old Maia couldn't tell what the color was due to the grainy quality of the memory. It was like watching one of the earliest films. She reached out to her little self as if to touch her, but little Maia did not notice her.

Little Maia instead paused one ear towards the door. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen," Maia heard her mother count. Little Maia smiled and a sneaky grin spread across her little face. Maia realized what was going on. _Oh, we're playing hide and seek. I'm supposed to be hiding but wait… why is little me heading down the path?_ Maia wondered as her toddler version skipped down the porch right past her. Maia followed her until Little Maia stopped along the edge of the path and hopped into some bushes. "Fifty-one, fifty-two…," Maia's mother continued counting from inside the house.

Maia peered into the bushes and saw Little Maia had carved out a nice hiding place for herself. Maia joined her, not surprised she was able to walk right through the bushes and have a seat next to herself. _Ha, good spot mini-me! _Maia commended. _You can see the house from here but no one can see this spot from the house. _Little Maia stared intently at the front door. Maia found herself getting bored already. _What are you waiting fo-, _Maia was interrupted by the front door swinging fast and wide. Maia's mother stood, her beautiful face marred with panic.

"Maia? Where are you, sweetie? Oh God, you know you're not supposed to leave the house when we play!" Maia's mother shrieked worriedly.

Maia and Little Maia both giggled.

Maia's mother ran around the house frantically, looking for any sign of her clever young daughter.

Little Maia covered her mouth to keep her laughs in while Maia didn't hold anything back._ I was such an evil genius, _Maia realized with delight.

When their mother started heading down the path, the laughter died instantly. Both pairs of gold eyes were tense as they watched their flustered mother on the hunt. As soon as she passed the two, the breathing resumed and so did the giggling.

A few minutes later however, the short attention span of a four-year old hit them. Little Maia got up and brushed the dirt off her dress. Maia watched herself, intrigued. She stared at her flaxen hair, the same as her own, as well as the analogous pair of eyes. Except that there was a hint of an understated happiness. _Its joy, _Maia discerned. _The joy of being loved, wanted, and cared for by a mother who would do anything for you_. _A mother that would die for you. _

Little Maia climbed out of her spot and started for the house. _I guess I was just gonna sit on the porch and wait for her, _Maia imagined. Little Maia began to walk up the porch stairs, one at a time. On the top stair, she slipped, falling forward and scraping her knees against the rest of the stairs as she slid down.

Maia immediately ran to comfort herself but stopped when noted there was nothing she could do. Little Maia stared at her bloodied knees in shock, and then she began to wail.

"MOMMMMYYYYY!" Little Maia cried, tears running down her little face. "MOMMMMYYYYY!"

Confusion Maia had put into the back of her mind had made its way back to the forefront of her brain. _This doesn't make any sense. This isn't answering any of my questions. It doesn't tell me why I'm in nirvana or whatever. It's not telling me why I don't remember this day of my childhood or why it's important enough for me to remember._

Maia credited herself with having an excellent memory. It helped her when she attended school and in her work. But it suddenly dawned on her she remembered nothing of her childhood before her school days. _Maybe I was just too young to remember, _she thought to herself unconvincingly.

The memory began to fade, the edges of Maia's vision becoming black. _No, wait! I still haven't figured out what all this means! I still need answers! _The darkness swirled around Maia and she could no longer see her home or the crying Little Maia. _Mom! Help! No! _Maia shouted as the darkness enveloped her, absorbing her into its confines.

* * *

The pirate guard sat on the edge of the bed, holding the young woman by the arms.

"Miss, please wake up! You're just having a night terror," the pirate called out desperately to Maia. She kept thrashing about and shaking, as if she was having some sort seizure.

"Mom," she murmured over and over again. "No, wait…"

The pirate scratched the back of his head, not sure of what to do.

He stood up and lifted the girl up by her shoulders. "Miss-," The girl's eyes shot open

* * *

Maia awakened suddenly, finding herself face to face with a muscular man twice her size holding her shoulders. Before she could think to do anything else, she let out a bloodcurdling screech.

* * *

Ace watched the spectacle unfold before him with disdain. It completely went against everything he ever believed in. Pirates helping Marines. The thought made him sick and he turned his head out to sea, trying to pretend like he didn't see anything so distasteful at all.

A violent shriek flew through the air and Ace panicked as he realized as it came from his room. _Damn it, Jeb,_ Ace cursed his first mate. _All you had to do was watch her!_

"Keep working!" he barked at his crew who started reacting to the scream as well.

Ace quickly sprinted to the captain's quarters, throwing the door open with almost too much force.

Much to his surprise, he was greeted with a gun pointed at his head. By the same girl he saved. Twice. And she didn't seem happy to see him.

* * *

_All right, guys. I redid Chapter 10. And I personally like this version way better. It's completely different to me because when I wrote the original, I did it so quickly I didn't put the time and consideration I usually put into all the chapters in it. I hope you guys like it._

_Chapter 11 will be out tomorrow night or Friday. Most likely tomorrow night cause my sister is graduating and I will be ridiculously occupied over the weekend. I'll try to update again sometime next week, possibly Wednesday._

_If you didn't understand the point I was trying to make in the beginning of the chapter don't worry. It's all part of Maia's history I told you guys at the beginning of the story. All will be revealed in due time and it **will **be worth it. I've got big plans for this story people. **Big **plans. Stay tuned._

_Well, I'm tired. I've been writing forever now so I'm going to get some rest, you know, to restore the brain juices lost during the production of this chapter. _

**_Adios._**


	11. Confused

_It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone – but it takes a lifetime to forget someone_

**Unknown**

**Confused**

* * *

"Don't move," Maia warned dangerously to the Ace and his first mate, Jed as she moved the gun in her hands back and forth between them.

Both pirates held their hands over their heads, frozen in that position. "_What did you do?" _Ace murmured to Jed incredulously. Jed shrugged, his eyes trained on the pistol in Maia's hands.

"I didn't do anything. She was having a nightmare, so I tried to wake her up. The next thing I know, she's screaming bloody murder and head-butting me and pointing _my_ pistol she snatched out _my_ pocket at _my _head!" he muttered back in his Southern dialect.

"Shut your mouths!" Maia shouted at them angrily. But she seemed more scared of them than anything; the hand holding the pistol was shaking.

"Whoa, whoa. Maia?" Ace said intently, taking a slow step towards the flustered girl. "Remember me? I'm Ace, remember? In Macaroon Town, I saved you from those pirates, The Rackgang Pirates."

Maia's face was colored with confusion and uncertainty. Ace had to admit, that with her hair a bit disheveled, the strap of her dress falling down on her shoulder, and her eyes a bit crazed looking, she looked pretty hot. _Wait, what I am saying? She's pointing a gun at my head!_

"Ace?" she said uncertainly. Ace nodded, taking another step toward her. "That's right. Ace with the nice face," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Jed looked between the two acquaintances frantically.

"I'm sorry," she breathed as recognition flashed on her face and she dropped the gun. Maia knees buckled out from her under her and she began to fall. Ace caught her and Maia sobbed against his chest. He kicked the gun behind him to Jed who quickly scooped it up and put it in his holster.

"Guess my job here is finished," he said before tipping his white cowboy hat and exiting the room.

* * *

Maia sat on the bed with her face buried in her hands. "I'm a monster," she said to herself gloomily. She felt so guilty; how could she point a gun at the guy who saved her life? Who probably saved her _and_ the crew's life earlier? She felt like crying. It didn't help she was worried sick about the crew. She desperately wanted to know if they were okay.

Ace chuckled and Maia looked up at him. His arms were crossed and he wore an amused smirk on his face. He stood by the door. "What's eating you?" he asked with another laugh.

Maia sighed. "Ace," she whined. "I pointed a gun at you."

"So? S' not like that's never happened to me before," he said with a shrug.

Maia's eyes widened in horror, and then shrunk back down when she realized she was talking to a pirate.

"I still feel horrible."

"Don't. If it helps, I wasn't scared at all. You don't seem like the type of person who could even _try_ to kill someone, even if they've threatened or hurt you."

"How do you figure?" she asked curiously. Ace shrugged and smiled.

"Well, for one, look at you. You're too small to do any real damage to anyone. How tall are you anyway? Five foot? Five foot one?"

Maia scowled. "I'm five foot two for your information!" she exclaimed irately. "What does my height have to do with anything?"

"Nobody's going to be afraid of a little girl," Ace claimed with a snicker.

Maia gaped at him. "_A little girl?" _she repeated incredulously. "_A little girl?"_

Maia was in Ace's face in an instant and made him back into the wall. She ignored the sharp pain in her previouly injured ankle. "Let's get one thing clear, _buddy," _Maia said through clenched teeth as she glared up at him. "I may not be the tallest person in the world; I don't care. Tall people are overrated anyways. I might be the shortest person you've ever met. That's probably why making fun of my height is such a great joy for you. But, I am not, I repeat, am not, a _little girl. _I am a young woman who doesn't have time to mess around with _little boys _who like to play pirate. Got it?" she said, almost threateningly.

Ace, however, was not phased. In a second, he had Maia against the wall and stared down at her playfully. Maia blushed at the close contact between their bodies but nevertheless glared murderously at the pirate.

"Look, _woman," _Ace said mockingly. "Pirating is not for little boys and it's not a game. I'm a man, just like all the guys on your ship. And I tease, not because you're ridiculously short, but because it's _funny _to get you worked up. You get this cute little look on your f-," Ace paused, his cheeks reddening. Maia's own cheeks colored.

Ace took a step back and scratched the back of his head. "Err, your guys are out on the deck if you wanna go see 'em," he told Maia quietly.

"That's a good idea," Maia said quickly. She whirled around and twisted the knob on the door. It didn't budge. She pulled again. Nothing.

"Pull it a little a harder," Ace instructed from behind her.

"I did, it won't budge," Maia huffed

"Jiggle it a little."

"I am!"

Maia stiffened as she suddenly felt Ace's breath on the back of her neck as his hand brushed past hers. Maia felt her hand warm at the contact. "It's locked," he whispered breathily. He unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"After you, _woman," _Ace beckoned with a smug smile.

Maia rolled her eyes. "Thank you, _man."_

She strolled past him in deep thought. Her ankle was ached with each step and she flexed her hurt wrist, wincing. But she decided to ignore her aching body for the moment in light of the confusion in her head. _What just happened in there?_ Maia asked herself. _I don't remember my body reacting so weirdly to a touch or a whisper. Every time we touched it felt like my skin was on fire._ Maia bit her lip and looked at Ace from the corner of her eyes. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he stared at the ground hard. He appeared to be muttering to himself.

"Am I going the right way?"

Ace snapped out of his private conversation.

"Uh, yeah. Just keep going along the edge of the ship." Ace mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

Maia sighed. _He's a lost cause at the moment._

Maia's mind wandered back to her "dream". It had so felt so real. _But there's no way it could be anything more than just a dream. Mom? Nirvana? A day I experienced but am not allowed to remember? None of it makes sense! _Maia thought miserably. _Could my life be any more difficult without having to worry about what's going on in my head?_

Maia could tell the ship edge was coming to pinnacle. She turned a corner that led to the open deck. Maia's heart received a sharp jolt. For some reason in her mind, she imagined all of the crew alive and well, joking amongst them, waiting for Maia to join the party.

That's why the scene before her ripped her heart, tore it to pieces and set the remains on fire.

* * *

_Okay there you have it people. Chapter 11. Sorry it took so long for me update. I know I said I'd have it out a lot sooner but I have this thing where I don't want to give you guys complete crap and I want you guys to be able to enjoy what I'm reading and not struggle to understand the message I'm trying to convey. I hope you guys in enjoy it. I personally enjoyed writing Ace and Maia's little banter. _

_I'll probably start to update weekly again; if I update sooner, happy birthday. I don't know if I'll Chapter 12 out next week though. I'm really trying to get my other story off the ground._

_Adios. __**Review.**_


	12. Cold

_The emotions aren't always immediately subject to reason, but they are always subject to action_

**William James**

* * *

**Cold**

The night sky illuminated the horror-filled scene before Maia.

She watched as her guys, the men her father hired to protect her on the ruthless seas, lay injured, bloodied, and dying. Some of the guys moaned and cried out in pain; with every pained voice, Maia's heart squeezed tighter and tighter. Men she didn't recognize were running around, bandaging and injecting the injured crew with various medicines. _They must be part of the Spade Pirates, _Maia thought. They didn't seem happy about what they were doing; most of them wore scowls on their faces. Suddenly, someone howled in agony. Maia recognized him as Jeffery; he had a wife and three children at home. He showed everyone pictures of his new baby girl all the time. One of the pirates attending to someone else stomped to his side. Jeffery shook violently, clutching his bandaged chest. Blood began to soak through the gauze. The pirate cursed and held a cloth to Jeffery's chest. Jeffery continued to pant and groan until he fell silent and still. The pirate rolled his eyes. "We got another one!" he shouted and another pirate helped him roll the body up into a white cloth. They picked up the body and tossed it to the side with the other covered dead bodies.

Maia's mouth opened but no words came out. She fell to her knees, her throat tight with pain. Involuntary tears spilled onto her face.

"Oi! Maia, what's wrong?" Ace asked her worriedly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Maia looked up at him, her tearful gold eyes wide and filled with torment and anguish. Ace cringed a bit. "What happened?" she croaked.

Ace turned away from her and surveyed the commotion. His eyes narrowed and his lips squeezed into a hard line.

"When we first came aboard your ship," he began, "the fight was already over." He pointed into the distance at a bright spec of orange light. _Fire, _Maia remarked. _But what's fire doing in the middle of the ocean and what does it have to do with-. _"That's what's left of your ship," Ace said without infliction. Without care, without any kind of emotion.

"Oi, Maia. It'll be okay. These are just the guys that are still being treated. There are more guys in the infirmary recovering," Ace explained, trying to get her to stop crying. He hated seeing girls cry.

Maia sniffled and uncovered her face. Her eyes were red and blotchy. "Take me to them," she demanded.

* * *

Ace led Maia across the deck to the other side of the ship. The two walked in silence along the edge until Maia yanked Ace to a stop.

"Hey! What's your problem?" he asked, snatching his arm back and glaring at Maia. Maia bore her own intense scowl into him and his face blanked. He had never seen her look so angry.

"Why?" Maia asked, though it sounded more like an accusation then a question.

"Why what?" Ace responded, irked. _What the hell is she angry for?_

"Why did you save us?" Maia asked. Her tone was somewhere between angry, confused, and upset.

Ace raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn't make any sense! I know you don't want to. I could tell from the looks on your crew's faces that they don't like what they were doing either. They're Marines and you guys are pirates. There is _nothing _that you will get for doing this! So why are you helping us?" she asked again, this time tearfully.

"You're right. It doesn't make much sense, does it?" Ace said quietly. "You don't how much I wish I could answer your question for myself, Maia," he shook his head, chuckling. "But I don't know myself."

He stared at her intently. "Maybe you could help me figure it out?" he suggested, taking a step towards her.

Maia blushed and looked down at her feet. Ace captured her chin and made her look him in the eye. His heart pounded.

"Maia, I-," a nearby door swung open and the two jumped apart.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something, captain?" a very tall, lean man dressed rather formally asked, emerging from a bright room. He wore a doctor's coat with some sort of suit underneath. On top of his dark hair sat a dark blue top hat. "I just stepped out for a bit of fresh air."

Ace opened his mouth to say something, but Maia spoke instead.

"No, you're not interrupting anything," she said pointedly, not looking at Ace. "You be must the doctor," she approached him and shook his hand.

"I am," he replied with an English accent. He peered down at Maia with a curious friendly look, adjusting his spectacles. "And you are?"

"I'm Maia," she said. "I was wondering if you could give me an update on my crew."

"The Marines? They belong to you? You're such a small thing I could hardly believe we found you on their ship," he laughed.

"What? No, I'm not the captain and I'm not a Marine. They work for my father," she explained.

"She works for the World Government, Doc," Ace chipped in.

Doc gave her a bemused look. "Oh, really?" he murmured. "Well, I suppose you want to go have a look-see, yes? Right this way, madam," he said gesturing towards the open doorway. "Coming captain?" Doc asked when Ace didn't move.

Ace looked fixedly at Maia, his arms crossed. Maia purposely looked away from him.

"Yeah, I'll catch up in a bit. I've got something I have to do," he said coldly turning on his heel and walking away in the opposite direction towards the deck.

Doc watched his captain leave, puzzled. "He seems a tad bit upset. I wonder why," he said, turning his gaze down to Maia.

Maia shrugged. "I don't know what his problem is," she claimed indifferently.

"Well, off we go then," Doc eased himself through the door which was half his height and gestured for Maia to follow.

Maia hesitated for a second, and then entered.

* * *

The infirmary was very white and cold. It was filled with various medical equipment and tools Maia couldn't name. She shivered a bit and Doc offered her a doctor's coat which she gladly accepted. "Sorry it's a bit chilly here. But I have to keep everything cold. The cold kills bacteria," he explained.

"Everyone in this room should live," Doc noted to Maia. Several beds with several sleeping Marines were all pushed into neat rows on the left side of the room. Maia looked over them, trying to discern one of them to be Joseph. While she was relieved that there were a good number of people in here, she wouldn't feel calm until she saw he was alive and well.

"Looking for someone in particular?" Doc examined.

Maia nodded.

She walked slowly between the rows, studying each face and body, looking for Joseph. The pain in her ankle was becoming more and more intense and hard to ignore. Suddenly, she tripped over a long pair of erect legs, sending spasms of pains to her hidden injuries.

"Are you okay, Maia?" Doc asked rushing over to her side to help her up.

"I'm all right," she insisted, though she was grateful Doc was helping her up; if he didn't Maia didn't know how long it would take her to get up. As she stood up, she realized that she tripped over a _really _long pair of legs. Maia squealed and Doc jumped.

"I found him!" she cried happily. _Joseph is the only man I know who sleeps like he's got a stick up his ass! _Maia thought joyously. Her eyes traveled up the white sheet to Joseph's slumbering face.

Doc gave her a baffled look. "This is the man you're worried silly about?"

"Yes!" she said excitedly, cradling his head in her arms. Her heart swelled with relief as she gazed at his tired face.

"This man was one of the few found relatively unharmed."

"Was there anyone who wasn't hurt?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid that when we arrived, most of the Marines were incapacitated. It appeared to be a very intense fight. Some of the few who were able to barely retain consciousness had to be quickly knocked out. They were acting quite barbaric," Doc clarified.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"He was shot in the thigh," the Doc replied nonchalantly, looking over Joseph's chart.

"What?" Maia gasped. She started pulling on the white sheet covering his body. "Let me see!"

Doc grabbed her wrist and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't let you."

"Why not?" Maia demanded.

"His wound was a bloody mess. Though compared to everyone else, he got off scot-free. We had to put him under to perform surgery to remove the bullet. Though compared to everyone else, he got off scot-free."

Maia shook her head in disbelief. "Doc, I can't believe any of this. All of you guys are spending time treating Marines, people that have abused and mistreated you all for years. Why?" she queried.

Doc nodded and put his hands behind his back. "I understand your curiosity. Yes, well you see, our captain told us to bring everyone still alive aboard the ship and treat their wounds. Naturally, we all protested, but he insisted. So being the loyal bunch we are we did as we were told. It wasn't without its grumbles and curses, however," he told her thoughtfully.

"Thank you for helping them, Doc. Thank you so much," she said sincerely.

Doc simply nodded. "Now, there's something I must ask you-,"

A knock on the door interrupted him. Ace stood with his muscular arms crossed.

His jaw was clenched as stared hard at Maia.

"We have something to discuss," he whispered crisply.

* * *

_Someone's gotta a flaming hot cheeto stuck up their nostril._

_I had it out early. Happy Birthday _

_More Ace and Maia moments to come. More feelings and confessions to come. A whole romance to come. Stay tuned. _

_Adios, please __**Review.**_


	13. Problem

_The hottest love has the coldest end_

**-Socrates**

* * *

**Problem**

Maia frowned at Ace, surprised and a bit frightened by his sudden change in attitude. _It can't be because of what happened earlier, _she thought.

"What's wro-," Maia began to say before Ace marched up and painfully snatched her previously injured wrist. His touch was hotter than usual. "Come now," he commanded through gritted teeth and began dragging her out of the infirmary.

Doc put a hand on his shoulder. "Captain, I don't think you should-," he stopped as Ace gave him an icy glare. Doc recoiled his touch "You don't need to be so rough," he murmured, looking down at his feet. Ace rolled his eyes but loosened his grip a bit as he stalked out of the room with Maia in tow.

Maia threw one last desperate glance in Doc's direction before leaving his view. She struggled to remove herself from Ace's tight grasp. "What is your problem?" she shouted at him. He didn't say anything as he dragged her along the side of the ship towards the deck. His body was tense and his eyes were angry. _What could've made him so angry in the past ten minutes? _Maia speculated as they neared the deck.

The sound of fighting and shouting snapped her out of her thoughts and she rushed ahead of Ace, intending to stop it. Her golden eyes widened in horror at the scene before her. A bunch of pirates and some of her crew were throwing punches and kicks towards each other in an all out brawl. Everyone was howling and swearing at the each other. Maia's breath caught as she saw the sharp reflection of a knife. _What do I do? What do I do? _Maia repeated to herself hysterically. She whirled around to Ace who was just catching up to her.

"What the hell?" he whispered angrily, looking bewildered at the violence before him. Maia grabbed his arms and shook him violently. "Do something!" she shrieked desperately. Ace put his fingers in his mouth and blew. The sharp whistle slid through the air and every man on deck froze at once.

"Jed!" Ace barked. His first mate dropped the Marine he was holding by the collar and straightened his crooked cowboy hat. Blood dribbled down his chin and some rested on his blue shirt. "Yes Capt'n?" he replied tonelessly. Ace marched over to him and put a finger to his chest. "I thought I told you to handle the situation while I get Maia!" he yelled angrily. Jed stood eye to eye to Ace and scowled at him. "I did Capt'n! Then some of these Marine pussies started gettin' an attitude and the next thing I know, everyone's throwin' punches and shit!" he explained with a shrug. "So don't go blamin' me!"

Maia squirmed in the thick tension. Ace shook his head. "I trusted you as first mate to keep control of the situation while I left and you disappointed me," he replied. "Q, you're temporarily in charge while I go and and speak to Maia," he commanded to a nearby pirate. "Now wait a minute!" Jed protested before being silenced by the look on Ace's face. "Bound their arms and legs," Ace said before walking towards his room, gesturing Maia to follow. She avoided the scowls and looks of disbelief from her crew and followed Ace hastily. Maia got a brief glimpse of herself in a mirror as she walked in. She looked battered and beautiful pink dress was now covered in dirt and smudge. One of the straps was broken. The little mascara she had on was now smudged. Her hair was limp and dirty. She was mortified. He closed the door behind them.

"Maia, we have a problem," Ace said tightly.

"You're telling me!" she exclaimed. "We have a pirate crew and a crew of Marines who hate pirates on the same ship!"

"And you're captain is dead," he added.

Maia swallowed a painful lump in her throat. She knew this to be true. While looking at the bodies of the men on the deck and in the infirmary, she hadn't spotted Captain Rubbard at all. She choked back tears. Captain Rubbard had known him since she was little. During the summers when she was home from boarding school, she would visit him and his family often as he had two daughters around her age. He was like an uncle to her.

Maia took a deep breath and willed herself not to cry. She was so tired of crying.

"You okay?" Ace asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Maia replied, her throat tight.

"You're captain is dead," Ace repeated, "so I figure that means that you're in charge."

Maia's eyes widened and she shook her head frantically, her golden locks flying everywhere. "No it doesn't!"

Ace raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "Yes it does, cause I'm sure as hell not taking direction from some god damn Marine!" he responded fiercely.

"Ace, I'm not qualified to give these guys orders. I just work for the World Government and their job is to protect me," Maia explained. "I have no authority over them whatsoever."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Then who's supposed to be in charge if the Captain dies?"

Maia stared at him quizzically. "The first mate..." she answered.

Ace's face turned beet red then he cleared his throat. "Well that's a problem cause he's still a god damn Marine!"

Maia sighed, confused as to how to avoid taking responsibility for the lives of 20 men. A sudden idea popped into her head. "Joseph! He can do it!" Maia realized with a relief. Ace looked at her confused. "Joe is my... he's my... he's kind of like my... substitute dad," she clarified. Ace gave her the same look. "He's a civilian, but my real dad gave him some authority over the crew so whatever he says goes," she continued.

Ace nodded appreciatively. "So where is this guy? Is he on the ship-," Ace was interrupted by a loud shout of "Where is she? Maia, where are you?" Maia recognized the voice instantly. "Joseph!" she called joyously, pushing past Ace and grabbing the door knob. "Maia, wait," Ace again roughly grabbed the her sprained wrist, making her yelp in pain. He released it and held it in his arm, gazing at the tape wrapped around it and back at Maia. It was suddenly quiet outside. "Maia, are you in there?" she heard Joseph yell from the other side of the door. She snatched her wrist back and opened the door hastily, eager to see Joseph. And there he stood, tall and gruff as ever, his arm around Doc's neck as Doc supported him. The pirates were finishing up tying up the Marines. A large smile spread across her face as he saw him. A smile even threatened his lips too when he saw her until Ace appeared in the doorway behind her, arms crossed with no expression. Joseph's own face morphed before Maia's eyes into a menacing scowl and she could immediately see what he saw. Her batter and bruised face and body. The Marines all tied up and injured themselves. Ace with all his muscle and dead simper. Joseph's face turned red in anger he balled up his fists. "_What did you_ _do_?" Joseph howled and suddenly not needing Doc's support, began threateningly toward Ace.

* * *

_I feel really bad and really stupid. I said I would have this out back in October. I'm** really** sorry for teasing you guys like that._

_But I'm going to make to it up to you by having the next chapter(if my schedule allows) out by tomorrow or Thursday. If not it will definitely be out this weekend. Promise. _

_With this chapter I really just needed to get my brain going again so there wasn't a whole lot of romance and whatnot but there will definitely be more later on._

_**Review if you please.**_


	14. Men

_Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own_

**Robert Heinlein**

* * *

**Men**

Every pirate on the ship at once had their weapons aimed towards Joseph, except for Ace who showed no reaction at all. Maia gasped and threw her arms around Joseph's waist. "Don't shoot!" she shouted. Nobody moved from their positions, ready to fire on Ace's command. _They don't care about me! _Maia realized in horror. _I work for the freakin' World Government!_

"Move out of the way, Maia! I'll handle these criminals on my own!" Joseph declared, his eyes still fixed hatefully Ace. "Joseph, please just let me explain the situation. It's not what you think. Ace, please tell them to stop pointing their guns at us!" Maia pleaded desperately.

"Give us the word Cap't and we'll take all these government pawns out," Jed said, cocking his pistol.

"It's about time," one large pirate groaned. "I've been waitin' waste these bastards since we found them on their ship."

Maia's eyes widened in fear. "Ace, please!"

"Please what, Maia? We're _criminals_, remember? This is what we do," Ace retorted snidely.

"No, you're not! You're a good person. All of you are good people for doing what you've done here," Maia stated assuredly. "Criminals would have killed everyone still alive and took all the valuables. And I still can't fathom why, but you didn't! You did the opposite and saved us instead."

Joseph's eyes bulged. "_What?" _he exclaimed. Maia ignored him.

"You're not big bad criminals just because you're pirates and you don't have to be because that's what everyone expects!" she continued.

Ace stared at Maia hard, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. Everyone was still ready to shoot.

Maia's brain raced for something else to say. "I know you guys don't want to trust me, because I work the World Government," she began, releasing Joseph and taking a timid step towards Ace. "But we're not all evil and manipulative like you guys think. I always honor my word. So please take my word when I say if you get us, all of us to the next island safely, then I will guarantee a reward and and an easy escape."

* * *

"Do you realize what you're saying, Maia?" Joseph asked incredulously.

Ace raised an eyebrow at Maia's offer. "An easy escape?" he repeated, putting his hands on his hips and cocking his head to the side. "Drop your weapons guys," he added. He wasn't scared of some tall and lanky old man who could barely stand.

Maia nodded vigorously, excited to see him loosen up a bit. She took another step towards him

"You'll just get to leave. No Marine ships attacking or coming after you." Maia claimed confidently.

"And the reward? How much we talking here?" Ace inquired. Maia shrugged.

"We'll work something out," she said confidently, holding out her hand as she took another small step forward.

Ace eyed her hand, then eyed her face. _Either she's ridiculously convincing or I'm letting my friend down south do all the thinking._

He hesitantly held out his hand. But before the two could shake, someone very large was suddenly in the way. Joseph pushed Maia out the way, albeit lightly

"We don't negotiate with criminals!" he shouted angrily, nostrils flared and prepared to attack Ace weaponless

_How annoying, _Ace thought as he pulled his dagger out of it's green sheath, preparing not to kill the old man, but to shut him up a bit. Ace pulled his arm back, ready to strike.

Maia gasped as she saw Ace pull out his dagger and attempt to stab Joseph. Without thinking, she lunged at Ace.

Ace didn't notice the blur of gold until it hit him mid swing, knocking him off balance. _Dammit, Maia! _Ace thought irritatingly. But he realized he made contact while falling and felt accomplished. That is until he heard an unexpected kind of cry.

Instant guilt and horror echoed through him as he heard Maia yelp in pain. They fell to the ground, Maia on top of Ace horizontally.

"Maia," he and Joseph croaked in terror.

Maia whimpered but said nothing as she pulled Ace's dagger out of her arm and threw it to the side.

Ace watched as warm blood, flowed down Maia's arm. _That's blood. Did I really just stab- _he was unable to finish the horrible thought.

Joseph reached for her. "Don't touch me!" Maia snapped. Joseph stumbled back weakly.

"Doc," Maia called. He was at her side in an instant, helping her to her feet. "Right now, let's get you sewed up." he chimed, inappropriately cheerful. The two began on their way to the infirmary.

Joseph immediately began to follow with Ace hesitatingly taking a step forward behind him.

"NO!" Maia yelled. The two men froze in their spots. "Don't follow me." she demanded without looking at either one of them.

"But Maia!" Joseph began to protest.

"But nothing!" she exclaimed angrily. Ace didn't know Maia had a temper. _It's kinda hot, _he thought before snapping back to reality. _What the hell is wrong with you? You just stabbed her, idiot! _

"I don't what it is with men and wanting to throw fists before asking questions!" Maia griped. "But for tonight or this morning, I've had _enough. _No more fighting. No more aggression. I won't ask you like each other cause I know you won't. But I will ask you guys to coexist peacefully until we can finally be rescued." she declared firmly. "Deal?"

Every man aboard the ship grumbled something of a "yes"

"Good. Now let's go Doc. I'm feeling a bit faint," Maia said tiredly.

Ace watched as Doc and Maia disappeared around the edge of his ship.

_Wow. She's a damn good negotiator._

* * *

_All these damn tech problems are really starting to piss me off. Oh well. It's only been like a week._

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I've been feeling a bit off and my chapters have been shorter than usual. But I'm still trying to get into the swing of things again so bear with me.  
_

_Review if you want._


	15. Patient

"The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which at times becomes almost insupportable."

**- Victor Hugo**

* * *

**Patient**

Maia winced as Doc sewed up her arm. "Shit!" she swore. She sat on a small table in his office, swinging her legs back and forth as Doc fixed her up. Doc gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry. You'll be happy to know I'm almost finished though." Maia raised an eyebrow. "You said that four minutes ago, Doc" she whined. He chuckled. "Well, this time I mean it because I am... finished! Good as new!" he cheered.

Maia breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I hate needles."

"If you took a few swigs of whiskey like I told you to, you barely would have felt a thing," Doc murmured to himself as he dressed her arm.

Maia rolled her eyes. "I can't drink alcohol Doc, I already explained this to you."

"Then the next time I'm treating you you don't get to complain about the pain. This isn't a top notch hospital where I have anesthesia lying around everywhere!" Doc replied irritably.

Maia's widened at his sudden change in attitude. Immediately she felt bad. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Doc. For everything you've done for us," Maia said sincerely. Doc's face flushed and he looked down at his feet. "It was nothing really," he mumbled, a small smirk on his face. Maia shook her head. "No, it was _everything._ Without you I'm sure there would've been even many more casualties. You're truly amazing. And I promise that when we get to the next island, I will have all your medical supplies restocked fully and we'll see if we can't get you some new equipment."

Doc looked up at her and beamed ear-to-ear. He picked her up and swung around like doll, holding her by the waist.

"You are truly a saint sent to me by God!" he cried happily while Maia laughed.

"Okay, okay, put me down," Maia pleaded when she finally got dizzy. As Doc slowly lowered her to the ground, Maia somehow slipped out of his grip and she landed hard on her previously injured ankle, the throbbing which she had ignored all night along with her wrist. She stumbled back into the table and cried out, pulling her foot into herself.

"Maia, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed horrifically. Maia shook her head, tears in her eyes. "It's fine," she lied lamely. "I hurt my ankle a long time ago and it's still kinda sore."

"Well, let me have a look won't you," Doc began tugging on her brown boot. She winced and pushed his hand away. "I'm okay. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Doc raised an eyebrow. "You may like to pretend you're a tough cookie, but I'm a doctor and I can tell the difference between a bump and a tumor. You can't lie to me so easily, Maia. Now let me take off your boot so I can examine the injury you've been trying to hide since you've woken up."

Maia bit her lip. "You've been able to tell all this time?"

Doc nodded. " You're movement has been very rigid and a bit slow even for someone so young. I've also noticed you're a bit sensitive to your right wrist. What happened?" he asked, gesturing to her bandaged wrist.

"I-I-," Maia stuttered under Doc's inquiring gaze. She didn't want to reveal to Doc what Riley had done to her. She didn't even want to think about that horrible night ever again. She stared at her wrist instead of looking at Doc. "I fell on it weird," she said unconvincingly.

"I guess you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Doc sighed. "I just need to make sure you're treated correctly." He grabbed her boot and gently began tugging it off. Maia sucked in a sharp breath and clenched her teeth to keep from crying out as the pain jutted all throughout her leg. _Son of a bitch! _

Finally, Doc removed the boot and could only gape at the sight of her ankle. It too had been bandaged, but the ribbons had become loose and revealed the dark purple, blue globe that was Maia's ankle. The rest of her leg dwarfed in comparison. Maia too was shocked, but was more worried about Doc's reaction than anything else. He was frozen.

Maia waved a hand in front of his still face. Nothing. "Uh, Doc?" Maia whispered. "Are you okay?"

Doc's mouth slammed shut and he glared at Maia. "You-," he stopped, unable to find the words. "You-,". Maia closed her eyes, waiting for the torrent.

"You call this _sore_?" he yelled angrily. Maia said nothing, waiting for him to finish his rant. Doc said a few words and swore a lot before taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, that was highly unprofessional of me. Now, where were we?" he asked calmly.

Maia silently pointed to her ankle.

"Oh, right. Well, I can you tell you I don't think it's broken since you've been able to walk on it all this time, though barely. It _is _a rather serious sprain, however. Have you been treated already?" he asked, examining her ankle closely. Maia shook her head.

"Hm, I don't think I can treat you properly since we're so low on supplies. The best I can do is give you a wrap and I think I may have a pair of wooden crutches around here somewhere..."

Maia gasped and shook her head frantically. "No! No one can know that I'm hurt except you and me, Doc."

"Why on earth not?"

"_Because, _if Joseph finds out that I'm hurt this bad, he's gonna have a heart attack and I'll be in _huge_ trouble."

Doc laughed at her panicked expression. "Sorry, but the only way to treat an ankle sprain is to limit the amount of pressure put on the ankle. I can barely treat you as it is, Maia."

"I know, but-,"

Doc held up his hand. "No buts. I'm a doctor treating a stubborn patient. I have to do what's best for you because you won't." He turned his attention to her right wrist, only a bit less swollen and colorful as her ankle. "This will need to be compressed, too," he said, frowning.

Maia groaned. "I'm so dead."

Doc smirked as he got up and rummaged through his desk for adhesive bandages.

"Do not take these off," he commanded sternly, wrapping them around each joint tightly. He left for a bit and came back with two plastic bags of ice. "For the swelling," he explained in reply to dubious look on Maia's face. She shrugged. "What does it matter? Joseph will kill me when he sees me with just the bandages anyway." She laughed at herself pathetically and yawned. Doc did too. They both giggled uncontrollably in their shared tiredness for a few minutes. Both jumped when Ace suddenly appeared in the doorway.

* * *

Ace stared at the two giggling hooligans in confusion. "Sorry to interrupt..." he said quietly. Ace could Maia's body tense up immediately. Doc jumped up from his seat immediately, a bit flustered by the sudden appearance of his captain. "Nothing to be sorry for, Captain! Just a doctor treating his patient as usual," Doc began tidying up his already neat office. "What can we do you for?" Maia burst out laughing at Doc and his awkward behavior.

Ace laughed at Doc too. "Actually, I just wanted to have a small word with Maia, if you're finished with this laugh-fest, that is ," he replied with an easy smile.

"Um, yes of course! I'll just get out of your way for a bit check on the other patients or something," he mumbled as he walked past Ace through the doorway. Ace snickered and shook his head as he closed the door.

"What a character," both he and Maia delivered at the same time, bringing both a blush and nervous laughter that eventually became a tense silence.

"What happened?" Ace asked quietly, gesturing to Maia's bandages. "Oh, I uh, tripped," Maia claimed, not looking him in the eye.

"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" Ace cackled.

"Yep."

"Are you going to tell me what really happened?"

"Nope."

"Thought so."

It was quiet in Doc's office once again.

Ace tried to form his thoughts correctly. _How do you apologize for stabbing someone?_

"I'm not mad at you so there's no need to apologize," she broke the silence. Ace gazed at her incredulously. "You're not even _upset_?"

Maia shook her head. "You didn't even stab me really," she added nonchalantly. "It was more of graze."

Ace continued to eyeball the girl. Maia yawned and stretched her arms out. "Look, Ace, I'm exhausted. I was attacked and I've been up for lord knows how long now. I've had a super long day and I'm beat so can we talk another time?"

_What the hell is this girl on?_

Ace nodded and faked a smile. "I'll let Doc and Joseph know you're sleeping in here tonight."

Maia smiled gratefully. "Thanks"

"No problem," he lied. He had a serious problem with Maia's new attitude. It was almost... disrespectful. _I didn't stab her? Of course I stabbed her! You don't get that much blood from a graze!_

He closed the door to Doc's office on his way out.

"She's all yours," he said harshly before stomping out of the infirmary.

* * *

_Hmm, a nasty exchange between the two or is it all in Ace's head?_

_Either way, I'm tired and I'm going to bed. This was a significantly longer chapter than what you all have been getting and I'll keep trying to push to that. _

_I really enjoyed writing Maia and Doc's dialogue. I think he's just lovely._

_Also, I'm thinking about starting a Bleach fic. I have a few ideas that are running around in my head like kids in a grocery store._

_Review if you please._


	16. God and Guilt

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

**William Shakespeare**

* * *

**God and Guilt**

Maia fell in and out of sleep throughout the night. The events of last night and the last few months were seriously affecting her. Every time she closed her eyes all she saw were visions of death and horror. She didn't know how much more she could take. _Maybe it's this job, _Maia thought. _Maybe I'm just not cut out for this violence. I thought negotiating would bring peace and all it's done is get my friends killed. _

Tears welled and spilled over on the pillow Maia's head rested on. She stared up at the ceiling in Doc's office, laying on the bed against the wall. She hated putting him out but Doc said he didn't mind and she needed more privacy anyway.

All the men who survived yesterday's attack laid in the infirmary outside the office resting Maia had assumed until she heard voices that suggested otherwise. _They must be awake now, _Maia guessed. She wanted to get up and see them but a blanket of guilt pressed on her body and paralyzed her. Guilt for bringing them into this mess. Guilt for getting their friends killed. Guilt for taking men from their families. She couldn't help but feel everything that happened was her fault. The Rackgang Pirates only attacked them for _her. _The Marines' only duty was to protect _her _and they gave their lives to do it. _And I'm not even worth it, _Maia thought painfully. _I've done nothing but get people killed._

Maia sobbed quietly to herself and pulled herself out of the bed. She carefully got to her knees, trying not hurt her ankle. She rested her elbows on the mattress and closed her hands in front of her face. She tilted her head to the ceiling and took deep, rigid breaths to steady her voice.

"G-God? It's M-Maia again. I'm talking to you now because, well, I n-need you. I need you to give me guidance and strength. I need s-someone to tell me everything is going to be okay. That I'm doing the right thing and living your way God. Because right now,-," Maia sobbed harder. "I don't know what I'm doing. Everything I do gets someone killed or hurt. And I don't want that. I just want for everyone to be safe. Tell me how to fix it, please. Please. Because I don't know how and I think it's only going to get worse. I can't do it by myself, God. Please, please, _please. _Help me. And forgive me for my mistakes, God," Maia begged desperately. "_Please _forgive me. Amen," she whispered.

* * *

Ace lay in bed staring at the ceiling. _What a shitty situation, _he thought to himself. _I saved a bunch of shitty Marines for a shitty cute girl who doesn't give two shits about me. Talk about pathetic_. Ace then felt terrible for thinking of Maia as shitty and took it back. She was far from shitty. But everything about the situation was still crappy. Ace sighed. _Why her? I would never have done this for anybody else. So what is it about her that made me make this stupid ass decision?_

Perhaps it was her personality. Though they hadn't spent too much time together personally, Maia had already managed to make him laugh, smile, and blush. She's also irritated him more than a few times. He thought about her attitude last night. She was so nonchalant, ignoring his attempts to apologize. It pissed him off. It's like she doesn't even have enough manners to accept an apology. _Or maybe she thinks an apology from a pirate is below her, _Ace thought angrily. She does seem a bit upper-class and snobby. Then Ace remembered how thankful she was towards him and the crew that they did what they did and it was clear from the tears last night she truly cares about people. Ace felt once again felt ashamed for thinking her a terrible person.

Ace considered her looks. She was more than cute. One could say she was pretty. Ace thought hard. She was short and slender with a curvy figure. A nice ass and a nice rack. She had shoulder-length curly golden hair that contrasted nicely against her medium tanned skin. Her eyes... Ace's spine tingled with warmth when he thought of those big azure eyes. _The color of treasure, those eyes. _Ace then thought of her lips. Those pink, plump lips. So kissable...

Ace could feel himself growing aroused thinking of Maia's lips on his and other places as well. He shook his head to get the sexual images out of his mind. He was only seventeen, however, and those images were the only ones he thought about for the next hour.

* * *

Maia could hear the guys murmuring from outside the door and got up from her knees to listen. She pressed her ear to the door and peaked out the office window, straining to understand what they were saying. They were all gathered in a circle on the floor sitting on sheets and pillows.

"We've got to escape," someone whispered. There were murmurs of agreement throughout the group.

Joseph, in the middle, shook his head is disagreement.

"Why not, Joseph? We lost a lot of men but we still outnumber the pirates by a good margin," one Marine, Eric, Maia assumed, growled. "It'll be easy for us to take them out."

"Well, for one thing, look at us. We're all pretty battered up. I can barely walk and all of you look like mummies." Maia stifled a laugh.

"This is no time to be cracking jokes, Joe!" Eric snapped, attempting to stand up. Joseph held up his hands.

"I'm not cracking jokes, I'm serious. Even if we do have the pirates outnumbered, they'll still win. And in case you haven't noticed, the captain is a Devil Fruit user. No one here stands a chance against him," Joseph said gravely.

"But there's gotta be something-," someone started but Joseph shook his head again. "Maia's made a deal for us. They get us to the next island unharmed, they get an easy out and a reward."

"That's bullshit!" Riley shouted angrily and the others protested as well.

"We don't negotiate with criminals!"

"Never!"

"How could she be so stupid!"

Maia felt a rage of disbelief surge through her body and she swung open the office door. Everybody's eyes turned to her in shock.

"How _dare _any of you call me stupid for trying to get your lives off the line. I get that it's not right but I only did it so they wouldn't kill_ you_. Those pirates hate you as much as you hate them. They didn't have to save you but they did! And no, I don't know why. They are going to get us to the next island alive because of _me! _That's all I know, s_o you better be fucking grateful!" _Maia yelled furiously, her eyes blazing.

All the Marines' heads fell down in shame. Maia scowled at all of them.

"I was going to see if I could scrape up some food for everyone but I've suddenly lost my appetite," Maia said disgustedly as she slammed the office door back shut behind her.

* * *

**Hi, everyone! I know it's been forever and a day since I've updated and I'm really sorry. I never wanted to be one of those people who take forever to update and look who I've become.**

**I wanna thank my old fans for sticking with me and I wanna say hello to the new fans. Welcome to my first FanFic!**

**I'm not going to be able to update weekly, I should let you all know now. But I will try to update at least twice a month. **

**And as a treat for being loyal and awesome, the next two chapters will be out tomorrow, September 3. **

**Happy Labor Day!**

**,**


	17. Regret

"_We cannot be together, but we will never be apart, For no matter what life brings us. You are always in my heart."_

**Anonymous**

* * *

**Regret**

Ace scrubbed his body fiercely in the shower, hoping the shame he felt for what he just did would dissolve. _Every damn time, _he thought. He knew it happened to everyone else too but this time would be different because he would have to see the girl he... enjoyed himself to later. Those same images still lingered in the back of his mind, tempting him to revisit them. _Look you pervert! Relax! She's not even that hot. Okay, she is but you've seen hotter. Crap, that's not going to help. Um, okay think of ugly women! Like the bartender on Sandy Island! God she was a gremlin! And the fortune teller! That mole of hers was way more spooky than her predictions. There we go! _Ace thought with a relief as his arousal slowly subsided.

Then he remembered the hot blonde he ran into on the beach there. Then Maia popped up at the forefront of his mind again. An image of the two together popped up and Ace lost control all over again.

* * *

Maia let the water wash all over her body, the feeling of clean exhilarating her. She forgot how long it had been since she had actually bathed. She ran her hands through her golden hair, the loose curls matted with water and shampoo. _Thank God there's another girl on the ship, _Maia thought with relief.

When Doc entered the office and asked Maia if she could use a shower and fresh clothes, she was a bit apprehensive. She assumed there were only men on the ship and besides that natural feeling of uncomfortableness of being naked around a bunch of guys, she had no clothes to wear. They were all on the ship along with the other belongings she brought.

Then she met Alex. Alex was the only female Spade Pirate and while a bit taller than Maia, she was her exact size. She gave Maia a t-shirt, shorts, and an athletic bra since Maia was a lot more bustier than her. Alex also had her own private bathroom and Maia was _so _grateful.

Maia finished in the shower and slowly stepped onto the floor mat, drying herself off. She then limped out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, applying lotion liberally to her body. For the first time in twenty fours she estimated, Maia felt relaxed. She and Ace were supposed to iron out the deal and make it official after she got ready. She knew what the Spade Pirates would want and she would not hesitate to give to them. She was terribly grateful for everything they had done for her and the crew.

Maia had got dressed and started to brush her hair when she heard a knock on the door. "Maia?" she heard Alex call from outside the door.

"Come in!" she shouted from the bathroom.

Alex, tall and slim, walked slowly into the room, as if she didn't want to startle Maia. She carried a pair of crutches.

Maia gasped. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed happily, hopping over to embrace Alex.

Alex gasped in surprise at the little girl's embrace and strength. "Don't thank me. Thank Doc," she whispered sheepishly.

"Well, thanks for bringing me the crutches. And giving me clothes. And letting me use your bathroom. Just... thanks. I owe so much to you guys," Maia said, tears threatening to fall. Alex panicked. "Don't cry. _Please _don't cry. I don't do tears very well," Alex grabbed Maia and shook her. Maia laughed and wiped her eyes. "Sorry. I know I'm a bit of a mess. It's just with everything that's happened... I really just need to let it out."

Maia stared at Alex hopefully. Alex felt uneasy under Maia's sad, wide-eyed and stood up. "Uh, I think Captain is ready to see you now," she murmured, looking down at her feet. Maia sighed disappointingly. She stood up slowly and grabbed her crutches. "Let's go."

* * *

Ace was nervous. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to look Maia in the eye. _Twice, you fucking perv. TWICE! _

He walked restlessly all over the deck, nibbling on his nails. The crew laughed at him. "What's wrong, Cap't? Afraid the little girl is gonna beat your ass?" Jed chided. Everyone laughed, except Ace who continued his pacing.

"Maybe he thinks she's gonna hurt his feelings," suggested Slim, a slender fella with incredible marksmanship. Everyone chuckled again and Ace rolled his eyes. "That's not even funny," Ace retorted, not breaking his pacing.

"No, what's funny is the way you look at that girl like she's gonna give you the time of day," Carlson, another member of the crew, replied.

Ace stopped and glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Everyone else had gotten quiet as Ace stared down Carlson. They could begin to feel faint rays of heat flowing from him. Carlson, however, wasn't phased.

"It means, the reason why we're in this situation in the first place is because you were thinking down south instead of with your head, like a real captain would."

Ace took a step toward him, but Carlson remained unmoved. The heat intensified. "Are you going to gonna fight me cause I'm right or cause your pissed that I'm right?" Carlson asked, a smirk forming on his face. "Think real hard, Captain. This time use your head."

Ace snapped and flames erupted from his body as he lunged towards Carlson. Sutton, a huge guy and a Haki user, immediately grabbed Ace and locked his shoulders behind his head. Ace struggled against Sutton but he wasn't really trying to escape. He was just pissed beyond belief.

Everyone was tense, except Carlson, of course who laughed and whispered, "Thought so."

Ace went at him again, for real this time, but Sutton held him tighter. "Let me go!" Ace ordered Sutton, who simply shook his head. Ace's rage continued to grow as he struggled against Sutton.

Carlson needed his ass kicked bad and Ace was ready to give it to him. "You don't know shit Carlson, so wipe that fucking smile off your face before I do it for you," Ace warned.

"Yeah, yeah that's nice tough talk. When you get manage to get out of Sutton's death grip I'll be waiting for you," Carlson laughed again and lighted a cigarette.

"Why you-," Ace began furiously

"Please stop," a small voice squeaked.

Ace and everyone else turned to see Maia, her crutches shaking in fear as the scene unfolded before her.

* * *

Ace pulled out Maia's seat for her and sat across from her at the large dining table in the dining hall. He watched her carefully sit down and then lay a stack of yellow parchment paper out in front of her, along with two quill pens and two small jars of black ink.

"A handshake would work just fine," Ace said teasingly with a grin. Maia bit her lip and didn't look at him as she replied, "All contracts must be formally written and signed by both parties or they mean nothing. Plus, HQ needs to know I wasn't forced or threatened when making this decision."

"Is all this _really_ necessary?" Ace asked incredulously.

Maia nodded. In most cases this is normal. But I've never had to negotiate this kind of peace treaty before. We're not supposed to negotiate with-,"

"Criminals?" Ace finished with a grim smile. He wasn't in the best mood and just wanted to get this over with.

Maia nodded guiltily. "So some signatures are definitely required for this case." Maia grabbed a quill pen and dipped the end in ink.

"So you're not a Marine?"

Maia frowned. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Because you travel with a bunch of Marines."

"For security. I work for the World Government as a Lieutenant Negotiator. My job is to negotiate contracts between countries, islands, and the Government."

"So you're still a government dog?" Ace laughed.

Maia rolled her eyes and sighed irritatedly. "Ready to get this over with?"

"Ready, Lieutenant Maia!"

* * *

An hour and a half and 10 pages of parchment later the two had a deal. Ace milked it for everything he could.

"Sign here and it's done," Maia said, stretching her arms over her head.

Ace hesitated over the last blank line.

"What's the matter?" Maia asked anxiously. "Do you need me to read it over again?"

Ace shook his head, his shaggy black hair flying in all directions. "It's just- are you sure this isn't too much? Won't you get in trouble for promising amnesty to pirates. I'm pretty sure that's not in your power, right?"

Maia bit down on her lip and looked away from him. "There are somethings that my supervisors are going to have to look over. But for the most part, I think considering everything you have done, it's really the _least _we could do. And I never go back on my word."

"You're giving us way too much credit. We could care less about all you," Ace said with a laugh but it stung coming out a little. He briefly saw Maia's face flash into something that resembled hurt but it was only for a second.

She let out a strained giggle as well and ran a hand through her flaxen hair.

It was quiet inside the dining hall and out. It was like everyone had disappeared. Ace and Maia still sat down, looking anywhere but at each other. Ace rubbed his hands over his face and Maia's eyes bore into her lap, still biting her lip. Eventually, Maia sighed and looked at Ace.

"I'm sorry. For making your crew upset with you. I didn't want that happen at all," she started.

Ace snickered and rolled his eyes. "Are you talking about what happened with Carlson? Stuff that happens everyday on the ship. Carlson's gotta mouth on him and he doesn't know when to shut the hell up. S' nothing to get worked up over," Ace leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.

"But it's because of us. If you didn't make them save us then they probably wouldn't be so upset," she whispered quietly.

Ace shrugged. "Let them be."

"Do you... do you regret doing what you did?" Maia asked him, her gold eyes burning bright.

Ace sat up straight and thought hard. Did he regret deciding to pull Maia and the Marines off the ship? His crew hated him at the moment. The Marines hate him because he's a pirate. But they would've died had he not made the decision. The ship was badly damaged and it was sinking. But

" Maia didn't hate him. She wasn't like the Marines. She didn't seem to hate pirates at all. C_ould I have lived with myself if I let her die because I hate Marines? _Ace asked himself.

"I-," Ace was interrupted by cheers coming from outside.

He and Maia both jumped when Talon burst through the door.

"An island, Captain! We've reached land!"

* * *

**I wonder what Ace was gonna say...**

**There you have it, folks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Chapter 18 will see some interesting developments and we will see a character we haven't seen in a while. **

**It's good to be back.**

***You all are gonna die next chapter. I'm writing it right now and everyone is gonna crazy I guarantee.  
**

_Cottonball428_

_P.S. Isn't masturbation hilarious?_


	18. Comfort

"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life."

**Leo Buscaglia**

* * *

**Comfort**

Maia had been sitting on the hard hospital waiting room chair for what felt like days.

"Just a couple hours," Maia mimicked the nurse who told her Joseph would need emergency surgery to repair damaged nerve endings near his groin. Earlier they had given Maia a splint for her wrist and a cast for her ankle, along with some painkillers. Maia was exhausted. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept well. And she couldn't help but worry about Joseph.

Most everyone else had checked out fine. Some had broken bones. A few needed minor surgery to remove bullets and sew up deep gashes since Doc didn't have the materials to do so. Unfortunately, 2 more Marines were lost, Buddy and Topher, bringing the death toll to 48 out 65 Marines.

Tears began to spill from Maia's eyes as she thought about the families of the dead and how they would be affected by what's happened. Being in a military position, a violent end is always possible. But being killed during during a routine escort? Their jobs were to only protect Maia and get her from point A to point to B safely. They were to avoid conflict at all costs. Of course, if they see a major criminal or crime, they could take action but they were just supposed to call a bigger unit to deal with the problem.

Maia was the only one in the waiting room besides the nurse at the reception desk. She began to sob, burying her face in her hands so the nurse couldn't see. She sobbed for the children that lost their fathers. She sobbed for the wives that lost their husbands. She sobbed for the siblings who lost their brothers. And she sobbed for the parents that lost their children.

She continued to wail quietly to herself when she heard a voice whisper, "Maia?"

* * *

Ace looked down at Maia in horror. _Why is she always crying?! _Ace thought to himself.

It shocked him even more when she laughed and began to wipe the tears off her face. "Oh, hi Ace!" she exclaimed cheerfully, like she hadn't been weeping like death. Ace raised an eyebrow and slowly sat down in the seat next to her. "Uh, hi Maia. Are you... all right?" he asked tentatively.

Maia nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I was just... upset for a moment but I'm a-okay now!" she said with a smile so big and shallow, Ace could feel the heartbreak radiating from it. Without thinking, he threw his arms around her. Maia stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed and put her arms around him as well, the bawling resuming. Ace rubbed her back in circles and absentmindedly stroked her yellow hair.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to you," he whispered in her ear. Maia sobbed a bit harder, burying her face in his chest and clinging to his yellow shirt. Normally, this close contact would have Ace excited, but at this moment all he really wanted to do was make Maia feel better. He had seen her cry too many times. It had been a rough couple of months for her, he knew, and he just wanted her to feel some comfort.

They stayed like that for about 15 minutes before Maia sat up and wiped her eyes. Ace snatched up the box of tissues next to him and handed them to her. Maia took one and blew her nose.

"Sorry for-_blow- _crying all over you," she said sheepishly.

Ace chuckled. "It's all right. This isn't the first time I've seen you cry, you know."

Maia giggled. "I know. But it's-_blow- _ still embarrassing."

"You've had it rough lately. You deserve to shed a couple of tears. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Thanks for understanding," Maia said gratefully, flashing him a beautiful smile.

_God, she's gorgeous, _Ace thought in disbelief.

Ace's face flushed red and he stuttered, "Uh, ye-yeah no, uh, problem."

Maia laughed at him again and his blush got deeper.

"Miss Reeves?"

Ace got up quickly and helped Maia up as well.

"Yes, that's me! Are you here to talk about Joseph? Did something bad happen during surgery? Please tell me he's not dead! I-," Maia blurted.

"Whoa!" the doctor laughed and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Relax. The surgery went well. He won't be able to walk for a few weeks and when he starts to he'll need to a cane for the first few months. But other than that, he's perfectly fine."

Maia breathed sigh of relief and Ace felt relieved as well. _No more tears for now._

"Thank you so much, doctor! Can I go see him now?" Maia asked eagerly, shaking the doctor's hand.

"He should be waking up right about now. I don't see why not."

In the blink of an eye, Maia had grabbed her crutches and was speeding down the hallway, with Ace chasing down after her.

* * *

"I'm so glad you're going to be all right, Joseph," Maia whispered while laying in the hospital bed with Joseph. She lay in a little ball, her arm thrown across his abdomen and her head resting just under his chest. She looked like a doll next to his body.

"Mm hmm," came Joseph's reply supplied by the morphine in his IV.

"Now that you're okay it seems everything else is going to be fine, now."

"Mm hmm."

"If I'd lost you, I don't know what I'd do. You're the most important person in the world to me," Maia murmured sleepily. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy.

"Mm hmm."

"I love you, Joe. Don't ever leave me." Maia breathed as she fell asleep.

"Mm hmm."

* * *

Ace quietly listened to the two from outside the door and peeked in to see that both had fallen asleep. Ace chuckled to himself. "Sleep tight," he murmured before closing the door.

Ace walked through the long hospital corridors and left the hospital. The air on Jekyll Island was cool and humid. When they arrived it was late afternoon but it was now just after midnight and the town's activity had slowed. It was a big market island and earlier it had been super busy. Most of the buildings were huge including the hospital.

Ace heard loud cheers erupt from the bar and he smiled, knowing his guys were enjoying themselves and the beautiful women the island had to offer. He was debating joining them when someone suckered punched him the jaw.

Ace tasted blood and spit, quickly recovering to face his assailant. He discovered it was a Marine, probably one that was on his ship considering the bandages he had over his head and eye.

"Can I help you?" Ace asked menacingly. The Marine bounced on his feet, his hands placed in front of his bruised face.

"You know what? You can! Stay the hell away from Maia!" the Marine growled hatefully.

Ace froze then burst out laughing. "Excuse me? What the _fuck _are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, pirate scum!" the Marine shouted angrily. "I see the way you look at her! You want her, don't you? Well you can't have her. Because number one, you pirates are the scum of the earth. She'd never go for trash like you. And number two-," Ace's fist connected with his stomach, then his knee connected with his nose.

The Marine fell to his knees and let out a small cough before falling backwards to the ground. Ace spit on him and walked away towards the bar, laughing.

"This _trash _just kicked your ass."

* * *

**Fun fact: I don't name chapters until after I'm done writing them.**

**That Ace/Maia moment was beautiful. I had a great time writing it.**

**Did you guess who the Marine was? It was Riley! I didn't say his name because it was Ace's POV and Ace doesn't know who he is. But he'll find out next chapter muhahahahaha.**

**There's Chapter 18. I hope you liked it. My brain is fried so I'm gonna take a break by doing school work! Yay!**

_Cottonball428_


	19. Feelings

_You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel._

_**Unknown**_

* * *

**Feelings**

Ace rubbed his sore jaw, groaning.

"Geesh, what a dick." Ace murmured to himself, referring to the guy that suckered punch him in the jaw. He slowly made his way over to the bar, needing a drink after that random episode.

_Who the hell was that Marine anyway? And why does he care so much about how I feel for Maia?_

Ace stopped himself and shook his head. _What I feel for Maia..._

How _did _he feel about Maia? He wasn't in love with her that's for sure. He liked her. She was a feisty little thing and she wasn't bad to look at. She sucked at lying. She was kind and caring. Ace liked her as a person but as a... girlfriend? Ace shook his head once more and sighed. The last thing he was needed in was a long-term relationship anyway.

"I need a drink."

* * *

Ace slammed down his sixth pint of beer to the cheers of his shipmates. Jed grabbed him around the shoulders and shook him vigorously in celebration, not helping to keep the room steady in Ace's head. "Oi, one more captain! You can't be done yet!" Talon shouted from a table behind the bar.

Ace held up his hand in defeat. "Believe me, I'm done for night," Ace slurred, swaying in his seat at the bar. His crew booed him and Ace laughed. "Sorry guys. Not trying to get hammered tonight." He turned his attention to the cute barmaid and smiled charmingly, gesturing her to come over. When she got close, he whispered, "See those Marines over there?" Ace pointed to the Marines who'd been scowling in the corner all night, "They're picking up our tab while we're in town, okay?" The barmaid nodded and smiled then went about her business.

Ace rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. Jed noticed and left the drinking that was going on between Talon and another shipmate.

"You alright, Capt'n?" he asked drunkenly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit... tired, I guess," Ace replied shortly, not really wanting to talk.

"You thinking 'bout that girl huh, Capt'n," Jed said with a smart smirk.

Ace's eyes widened in embarrassment. How the hell could Jed read through him like that?

"What? No!" Ace spat out quickly. He laughed, trying to relax. Jed continued to smirk knowingly.

"It's alright to like her, Capt'n. Just don't expect anything to come out of it."

"What do you mean?" Ace frowned.

Jed signaled for another drink.

"I mean: You're a pirate. She's a Government pawn. It would never work out between the two of you anyway."

The Marine's comments from earlier stung in Ace's head. _You pirates are the scum of the Earth. She'd never go for trash like you._

Ace flinched at the words. Jed didn't notice his reaction. Taking a big gulp from his glass, he nodded towards the a dark-haired beauty on the other side of the bar.

"Now _she, _is more your speed," Jed chuckled.

Ace checked her out warily. He wasn't interested in hooking up with someone at the moment. But she was pretty smoking and she got his juices flowing.

_Why not? Maybe she'll prove to be a distraction while I'm stuck here. _

Ace got up from seat and walked over confidently to her table. He always sobered up around pretty ladies he was trying to bed.

"What's a beautiful woman like you sitting here all by herself for?" Ace asked, smiling at the woman in front of him. He was only seventeen but had pulled broads from all ages. He preferred older women because the younger girls often got attached. Looking at this woman made Ace see Maia as a little girl in comparison even though they were the same age.

The raven-haired woman smiled deviously, her green eyes gleaming. "My boyfriend just broke with me. So I'm trying to fuck as many hot guys as possible to make him jealous."

Ace laughed and nodded. _Typical bar slut. Too easy. _"Sounds like a plan. Need some help executing it?"

She giggled and Ace jumped a little as he felt her hand run up and down his thigh. "Sure, Mr. Pirate."

Ace grinned as she grabbed his hand and lead him out of the bar and his crew whooped and hollered after them.

* * *

Maia stood in the shower, letting the hot water run through her golden hair and down her small body. She would never take hygiene for granted again, after being filthy for days.

Every pore in her body was filled with relief and her mind was finally free from worry. Joseph was going to be fine. Everybody that should be okay was okay. And they would all be home safe soon. She just wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.

Today was the day Maia and Ace were going to iron out the details of their agreement. The pirates still needed supplies and time to get away from the island when the recovery Marines got here, even though Maia assured them a clean getaway. All of it had to be done soon; the Marines were anxious to get home to their loved ones.

Maia turned off the shower and stepped onto the floor mat. Because the tension on the ship was so high, Maia had suggested that she and the Marines stay in the local hotel. It worked to everyone's benefit: the pirates got their ship back and the Marines get showers and warm beds to sleep in instead of sheets on a tile floor.

She dried her body before wrapping a towel around her hair in a turban. She walked into the main room, rubbing lotion into her light tan skin. Maia threw on a lime green hotel robe and examined the little clothes she had. She picked up a pink top, shook her head and threw it back on the bed.

"I miss my clothes!" she groaned. She lost all her stuff when the ship was destroyed and had a little shopping spree when she got to the island, little being the operative word. A few tops, some jeans and shorts, two dresses, and a jacket because it often got chilly at night here on Jekyll Island. She had invited Alex along to get her opinion, but the quiet pirate wasn't interested.

Maia sighed, unhappy with anything she bought for her meeting with Ace.

Maia paused. "Duh, you idiot!" You're thinking about things that might impress him when he doesn't even care what you wear" she condemned herself. She laughed and rolled her eyes, picking out a bright blue scoop neck long-sleeve shirt with the mid-back exposed. She threw on a pair of tan shorts and slid on her white tennis shoes.

_Why should I care what he thinks about me anyway? This is just business after all._

"There!" Maia smiled at herself in the bathroom, then frowned. _A little mascara couldn't help, _she thought to herself. She did her mascara and smiled again. It fell almost immediately.

Maia had never had a high self-esteem. When she went to the boarding school, a lot of the girls teased her because her looks. They made fun of her eyes and called her a freak. They pulled on her curls and mocked her by calling her Goldilocks. She hadn't made many friends while away. That's why she jumped at the chance to leave when her dad offered her a job as an intern for the World Government's diplomacy department. No more dealing with snobby girls. Just jackasses.

Maia sighed and looked at her watch. She was going to be late for their meeting if she didn't leave. Maia gave her long hair a quick brush through and clipped her bangs back.

She grabbed the papers she'd been working earlier that morning and was on her way out the door.

* * *

Ace moaned, rubbing his eyes. He slowly sat up and tried to remember where he was. In a minute, it all rushed back to him. He was in the hot chick's bedroom. He grabbed the clock on the bed stand and gaped at the time: 10:26.

_Shit! I'm gonna be late for the meeting!_

In a flash, Ace was up, throwing on his pants. He looked for his shirt and hat all over the room but he couldn't find it. Heading for the front door down the hall, he froze when he heard a soft voice protest. He turned a right corner and found himself staring at the woman from last night. In his shirt. Unbuttoned. Wearing his hat.

"Aren't you going to stay for breakfast?" she pouted.

Every cell in Ace's body wanted to stay but Maia was waiting on him.

"You really don't know how bad I would _love _to stay, but duty calls!" Ace stuffed his mouth with eggs, bacon, and pancakes as he walked over to her and grabbed his hat. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and was out the door.

"What about your shirt?" she shouted behind him.

"I'll be back for it later," Ace replied with a wink, his mouth full of food.

* * *

_I know it's been a long time guys. I've been swamped with school. Thanks to everyone who's stayed and Welcome to everyone that's joined the journey!_

_Anyway: what a sexy ending to an otherwise unsexy story. We'll be seeing that woman again in the next chapter(s) and she'll be stirring up trouble for Maia and Ace's "relationship"._

_Teaser: There's some action up ahead. I would say around Chapter 22 or 23. It will be epic._

_Note: The quotes I put up mean something for each chapter. So pay close attention._

_I bid you ado!_


	20. One Moment

_Roses are red violets are blue he's for me not for you and if by chance you take my place I'll take my fist and smash your face. _

**A Genius**

* * *

**One Moment**

Ace didn't know why, but sitting across from Maia in the cafe that afternoon, he suddenly noticed every little thing about her. The mole under her left eye. The way she bit her lip or thumb when she was nervous. The way her azure eyes shined and crinkled when she laughed. Those plump, pink lips. Her long, unruly golden hair. _When had she started wearing it like that?_ She was so...

"Beautiful," he breathed. Maia and Doc stopped their conversation to take a curious glance at Ace. "What was that Ace?" Maia asked, a smile playing on those luscious lips. Ace blanked for a moment and Maia and Doc stared at him in concern. "Are you feeling all right, Captain?" Doc asked, placing a hand on Ace's forehead. "You're a bit warm." Maia chuckled and Ace smirked. "Warmer than usual," Doc added sheepishly.

Ace waved Doc's hand away. "I'm fine. I just had a lot to drink last night."

"And with whom may I ask?" Maia questioned playfully, taking a sip of tea; she appeared to be in a great mood.

Ace suddenly felt an unexpected crushing guilt as the memory of last night flooded his mind. Here he was, practically drooling over Maia, when less than 12 hours ago he was banging some bar slut.

"Just Jed and few other boys," Ace lied, staring into his orange juice.

Maia raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more about it. "I guess we can wrap this meeting up then boys. All the money you need is right here," she gestured towards the thick stack of checks in the middle of the table.

"Miss Maia, this is a lovely thing you've done for us." Doc said appreciatively. Maia shook her head. " You guys saved my life and the lives of my crew. This is the least I could do to express my gratitude," she replied, her gold eyes gleaming.

Ace took her small hand in his and squeezed it, ignoring the warmth it sent through his body. "Anytime," he said with a huge grin. Maia blushed but smiled back and for a moment, they were the only two in the room. But just for a moment.

Their waitress cleared her throat and Ace snapped back to reality. "Do we need any refills or more snacks over here?"

"No thanks," Ace and Maia said in unison. Both their faces reddened and Doc grinned. "We were just leaving. I'll take the bill now."

Maia and Ace walked outside together as Doc paid the tab. The streets of Jekyll Island were buzzing during the day. Florists, bakers, farmers, jewelers and designers were all selling their wares and products.

The two stood awkwardly outside with neither of them saying a word. Maia bit her lip and Ace cursed internally. He decided to break the silence. "It's hot out here, isn't it?" Ace asked, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Maia looked up at him, puzzled. Ace felt his face heat up at her gaze. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just... I can't believe you asked me about the weather," she replied, bursting into a fit of giggles. Ace laughed as well, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, I figure the weather's always a good conversation-starter."

Maia suddenly tensed up and looked down at her feet. Ace frowned. "Maia are you-,"

"Do you want to meet me somewhere?" she blurted out. Ace's dark eyes widened in surprise.

Maia threw a hand over her eyes. "No, I mean do you want to go... somewhere...with me? Like on a picnic? Please?" she asked bashfully. She continued to babble, "I wanted to do something special to thank you since we really don't much time together left, ya know?"

Ace could only hear the thud of his heart as the words came out of Maia's mouth. _Is she asking me out on a date? _he thought incredulously. _This is the might be the greatest day of my life._

Maia's face fell and he realized he hadn't given an answer. "Yes!" he shouted eagerly and Maia jumped while passing bystanders gave him an uneasy look. He face flushed and he coughed "I mean, yeah sure. When and where?" _Nice save you fucking loser._

"There's a really nice spot on the beach on the west side of town I was told looks amazing at sunset. Meet me there around five. And bring a big blanket," Maia ordered with a dazzling smile. Ace practically melted.

"I'll be there."

"Don't be late."

"I'll never be late for you."

"You were this morning," Maia giggled.

"Yeah, well-,"

"Just be on time, loser," and with that Maia disappeared into the afternoon bustle, leaving Ace

's heart aflutter.

* * *

Maia had planned everything out perfectly. She had asked Doc what he thought of her proposal while they were waiting on Ace earlier that day and he loved the idea. Now all she needed was to tell Ace of her plan to get him on board.

Also it would be nice to spend some time with him when she wasn't crying her eyes out.

As soon as she left the cafe she hit the clothing booths and stores, looking for something sweet, but a little... sexy. She didn't want Ace to see her as _cute. _Little girls were _cute. _She wanted him to like her like she liked him.

Maia groaned. She knew she liked Ace from the moment she met him(sober or not). He was nice and funny. And he was so hot. Plus he's saved her life like twice. Maia paused. But...

_He's a pirate. I'm a lieutenant negotiator for the World Government. My dad's a high-ranking Marine officer. Even if this proposal goes through... that's all this will be. A little crush that goes nowhere._

Maia shook her head determinedly. _I'm not going to worry about that tonight. I just need to get through the proposal. _

Maia ran through a rack until a nice little number caught her eye. She turned to the booth owner.

"I'll have this," she said with a grin.

* * *

Ace adjusted the collar on his black shirt anxiously as he waited for Maia to arrive. It was the first time in a long time he had worn an actual shirt. A breeze ruffled his raven hair. Ace looked around and decided to straighten the large white cotton blanket he brought as Maia had requested. He was beginning to get a little impatient. Here she was, ordering him not to be late and Maia couldn't be on time herself.

Just as he was about to get up and look for her, her golden head popped up along the shore, carrying a large picnic basket.

"Hey!" Ace was by her side in a minute, taking the heavy basket from her.

As they walked back to the blanket, Ace smirked at Maia.

"What?" she blushed.

"Late much?" he snickered. Maia gave him a puzzled look then burst out laughing.

"Ace, it's 4:50. How early did you get here?" Now Ace's face flushed. He realized he'd been waiting for almost an hour. The consequences of not owning a watch.

He decided to change the subject. "What on earth did you pack in here? And how did someone as tiny as you manage to get it all the way here?"

Maia stuck her tongue out at him and Ace chuckled. "I had to pack enough food for the both of us. And since you eat like you have five stomachs, I had to pack _a lot."_

"Fair enough,"

"Thought so,"

They reached the blanket and Ace set the basket down. He glanced at Maia who was straightening the sexiest thing Ace had ever seen her wear. A dark red skin-tight long-sleeved cocktail dress with the back exposed from the waist up and a scoop neck. The sun was beginning to dawn and the light hit her eyes beautifully. Her flaxen hair was parted in the middle and straightened to a length that flowed just below her shoulders. Her pink lips looked fuller than ever. He couldn't help but wondered how they tasted or how they would feel against his.

"Wow," Ace said simply, his mouth dry. She was a goddess.

Maia looked at him skeptically. "What?"

"You look...," Ace struggled to find the word.

Maia raised an eyebrow. Then looked panicked. "Is my hair messed up or is there lipstick on my teeth? What is it!"

Ace paused. "You look...like the most beautiful girl I've ever seen Maia."

"I, uh, thank you?" Maia mumbled, her face as red as her dress. "We should sit down now!" She grabbed his hand and yanked him on to the blanket. She pulled a little too hard and Ace fell on top of her.

Their faces were inches apart. Neither breathed. Both could feel each other's hearts thudding through their chests. Dark eyes met golden ones. All Ace wanted to right then and there at the moment, was to kiss her. And never stop.

"Ace...," Maia breathed.

The way she said his name caused his heart to thump loudly in his chest. He was sure she could feel it. How he desperately wanted to kiss her right then and there. But... he quickly got up. He cleared his throat, "Um, sorry about that," he said, again straightening his collar. Maia sat up slowly and Ace thought she looked a little hurt.

"I'm starved! So what did you bring us to eat for this fine evening?" Ace asked, ignoring it.

Maia was suddenly cheery again; it was like hitting a switch. "Well, let's see..."

* * *

The sun was slowly going down over the ocean horizon. Maia and Ace munched on cheese, fruit, and sandwiches as they laughed and shared their pasts with another.

"And this one time when I was nine, I grabbed all my favorite snacks and books and threw them into a backpack. Then I climbed up this huge tree in my backyard and Joseph freaked out cause I refused to come down. I stayed up there all day until I ran out of snacks and got hungry again," Maia told Ace who laughed.

"I guess you got the whooping of a lifetime when you finally got down, huh?" Ace asked, taking a huge bite of his chicken salad sandwich. Maia shook her head.

"Nope. Joseph never laid a hand on me no matter how rebellious I got. Which I never was really. I've always been more independent than kids my age," she shrugged.

Ace gaped at her. "You spoiled little princess. I got beatings from Dadan daily!"

"Well you were obviously a rotten child, Ace. I was a princess," she fluttered her eyelashes for dramatic effect and Ace rolled his eyes but snickered. "You're right. I was a bit of a handful." He paused. "So, what about your dad? You haven't even mentioned him."

Maia's expression was suddenly glum and a little bit irritated. "What about him? He's never ever been around. He sent me to boarding school first chance he got. He always worked during summers and the holidays. I haven't seen him in years."

"Well, he's gotta be a top-notch Marine to be working that hard. What's his rank-,"

"Can we please not talk about him? He's a deadbeat. As far as I'm concerned, Joseph is the only father I've ever had."

Ace could see how hurt she was talking about her father so he let the subject go.

"Well, how about your mom? Is she around?"

Maia was quiet, her golden eyes scanning the ocean as she sat on her knees with her arms hugging her body tight. She sighed sadly.

"My mom died when I was 4," she revealed quietly, her eyes welling with tears

Ace's eyes widened in surprise. Then he grabbed her hand and squeezed it sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I know how you feel. My mom died giving birth to me. I never even got a chance to meet her."

Maia looked at him and gave him a sad smile. "It sucks, doesn't it? Not even having a memory of the most important woman in your life."

Ace nodded. The two were quiet for a bit, in their own thoughts.

"What about your dad?" Maia asked after a few minutes had passed

Ace's face darkened. She had never seen him so angry. "Deadbeat monster who's currently rotting in hell where he belongs," was all he said. Maia thought it smart not to push that subject any longer.

"I think we're a match made in heaven, Ace!" Maia exclaimed with a laugh.

Ace smirked. "Yeah, we are. In a sick, kind of twisted away."

"It's not all sick and twisted."

"How so? We both have dead moms and horrible fathers; it doesn't get more fucked up then that, Maia."

"There's other stuff too Ace! Stop thinking so negatively!" she yelled at him, smacking his arm.

He rubbed his arm in fake pain but snorted. "Like what?"

Maia put a finger to her lips and thought hard.

"We're both dedicated to our crews and to our... jobs."

Ace nodded his head. "Very true!"

"We both love the ocean and traveling."

"Yep."

"And...,"

"We both like each other very much?" Ace suggested.

Maia blushed and she looked down at her lap.

"Well, I guess I can't speak for you. But I know I like you. A lot."

Maia tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Ace, I-,"

A cool breeze suddenly blew by and Maia shivered. Ace frowned. "You look cold." Before she could move, Ace grabbed her slid her onto his slip lap horizontally.

She was about to protest but his warmth overtook her senses. She couldn't help but snuggle closer to his body. She could have fallen asleep right there. "Ace," she whispered, her breath tickling his neck and sending tingles down his spine.

"What, Maia?" he asked throatily. This close contact was doing things to his body. He stroked her smooth light tan legs.

"I-," she choked, unable to say the words. "I do, like you. Probably way more than you like me. But this... what we want from each other," She was crying softly now. "It can't happen. I don't wanna start something we know we can't finish. I wish it was different. I wish I didn't work for the World Government. I wish I wasn't a Marine's daughter. I wish-,"

"-_I wish,_ you would stop talking. You're ruining this moment for us," Ace replied with a soft chuckle, stroking her silky hair.

At the moment, fireworks began to shower the night sky. Neither of them said a word. They just held on tightly to each other, living in the only moment they believed they would have with each other.

* * *

About thirty minutes, Ace walked her back to her hotel room. On the way there, the two held hands, not caring who saw. They still hadn't said a word.

The town was bright and bustling at this time of night. Children were still playing. Parents coaxing their children to come inside and get ready for bed. Young adults were making their way to all the hotspots the town had to offer. The bars and restaurants were filling up.

When they reached her door, the two lingered. Neither wanted to say goodbye.

Maia leaned against the door while Ace pressed his body against hers. She tucked her head against his stomach. All the wanted was live in his embrace forever.

Slowly, Ace cupped a hand her chin and lifted her beautiful face towards his. She stood on the tips of her toes but Ace still had to lean in quite a bit.

Maia didn't breathe as Ace leaned in for the kiss. It felt like an eternity as their faces inched closer together. She closed her eyes as did he.

_Ding!_

The sound of the elevator around the corner brought reality crashing down on them.

_Damn it! _Ace thought fiercely.

Maia could feel her heartbreaking. Their own little world had fallen apart in one second.

A couple came around the corner, hugging on each other, all loved up. They didn't appear to notice Ace and Maia in the hallway. The young man pulled out a key and unlocked the door, pulling his giggling lover in with him.

Never had Maia been so heartbroken. Ace was perfect for her but she couldn't be with him because they grew up in two entirely different circumstances. What rotten luck!

She couldn't handle this any longer. She needed to get away and let things go back to the way they were.

"Maia-," Ace began.

"Goodnight, Ace. I'm so sorry it has to be like this," she choked, then slammed the door behind her.

* * *

She stood face first against the door, gasping as her tears stung her eyes. _Damn it! Why do I keep crying?! _Maia sobbed. _Why can't I just have a single moment where all I am is happy with Ace?_

* * *

Ace stood frozen. He could hear her sobbing through the door and it tore his heart up more. He wanted to knock but he knew it would do no good for either of them. _It was over for them. _

Dejected, he drudged back over to the elevator. As he waited, he felt angry. All he wanted was Maia. He would kill fifty thousand Marines just to have her. He didn't even want any other women. Just Maia. With her beautiful smile and eyes. He could spend eternity looking at her.

He punched the wall in frustration, accidentally putting a whole in it. He breathed hard, his hand still stuck in the wall.

Suddenly, Maia appeared beside him.

Ace's eyes widened in surprise but before he could say anything, Maia had jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his. The force pushed him back against the wall and he wrapped his arms around her waist to catch her.

_So sweet! _Ace thought of her lips, kissing her harder. Their lips moved around in sync until Ace gently bit her lower lip, asking her for entrance. She obliged and his tongue instantly attacked hers. He flipped around, her back against the wall now and her pelvis against his hips.

She moaned and it turned Ace on. He grabbed fistful of her hair and massaged her scalp. Their tongues played tug of war and he was winning. Eventually the two parted for air, breathing heavily. They stood locked in their intimate embrace.

"I'm... so... lightheaded," Maia said between gasps. Ace nodded in agreement. That had been the best kiss of his entire life. So much feeling and passion behind it.

"I needed to fill your lips on mine. Just once," she explained, sheepish now. She had never been so forward before.

"Maia...,"

Maia looked up at him expectantly, a smile on her swollen lips. "Yes, Ace?" she asked, breathless

"I think I'm in love with you."

* * *

_Gahhhh, hello everyone! I know I haven't updated in a while; please don't hate me. I've been busy. I graduated high school and now I'm in college! It's a crazy adjustment._

_Anyway, I gave you guys a special treat for being so patient with me. They FINALLY KISSED. And Ace said he's in love with her. Boom._

_It's obviously young love, infatuation right now but we'll see how that develops for the both of them._

_In case you can't tell I'm not revealing any information on Maia's father. It's gonna blow your freakin minds though. I tend to plan out way ahead so writing in the now is hard to me. But don't worry we'll get there._

_Thank you guys for being truly loyal and sticking with story though. I'm honestly beyond appreciative._

_Since this is my first update in a while, please review! I want to know what you guys think!_

_Thank you all so so much!_

_Cottonball428_


	21. End of the Line

_Love changes what is probable and makes unlikely things possible_

_Ally Condie_

**End of the Line**

Maia sat in the hospital cafeteria that morning, absent-mindedly stirring the cup of lukewarm coffee in front of her while Joseph sat across the table, droning on and on about not being able to wait to get off that island. She wore her wavy hair up in a high ponytail and she wore a plain light blue strapless dress that hung loosely around her small body.

"Tomorrow can't come soon enough I tell you," Joseph said excitedly. "I just want to be back home in Marineford already and forget this all happened, you know?"

When Maia didn't respond, Joseph frowned. "Maia?"

Her flaxen eyes here fixated on the coffee in front of her.

Joseph painfully leaned over and flicked her on the forehead.

Her eyes snapped to his face, her face a bit flushed. "Wha- What?"

Joseph scowled at her. "Haven't you heard a thing I've said?"

"Yes."

"Oh? What were we talking about just now?"

"You were just saying how you can't wait to go home," Maia answered with a smirk. Joseph's eyes widened in surprise and he cleared his throat.

"Very well. But you can't tell me you haven't been distracted lately. What's going on in that head on yours?"

Maia was quiet for a moment, her eyes reflecting a conflict of emotions. A lot was going on in her head. A little over forty eight hours ago, Portgas D. Ace had told he was in love with her.

She hadn't known how to react. The shock of his statement numbed her mind but warmed her heart. She had never known love. For Christ sake she had just gotten her first boyfriend two months ago. So had done the only logical thing she could think of. She ran away.

_Riley_. She mentally face-palmed herself. Maia had never officially broken up with him. In fact, she told him that she'd forgiven him for what he'd done. Her wrist throbbed slightly from the memory of that night.

But… did that mean she necessarily _had _to get back together with him? She had said things needed to change and they did. Maia had feelings for Ace now. And even though she knew her feelings could never go further than here, she felt as if she deserved more. She could find someone that loves her like Ace does.

_Why not choose Ace?_

Maia bit her lip, invisible tears stinging her eyes. _That would never work the way things are now and I know it. I shouldn't even entertain the thought._

But she couldn't help but let the idea sprout in her head. What if she gave up being a negotiator? What if she joined Ace on the seas? She would be labelled a traitor by the World Government. And if caught, she would immediately be put to death. And she was pretty sure her dad would execute her himself. Not so appealing. But she would get to be with Ace as long as that lasted. Have a life of adventure and spontaneity. _Very _appealing.

Or maybe….

Maia broke out of her reverie, a huge smile on her face.

"I'm such an idiot, Joseph! I can't believe I forgot about the mission!" she exclaimed happily, getting up.

"The mission?" Joseph repeated, confused.

Maia nodded eagerly and grinned. She walked over to him and placed a big kiss on his wrinkled forehead. "I have to go. I've got some work to do!"

Joseph watched her as she skipped gleefully towards the exit. Maia's emotions were like a light switch nowadays

* * *

Ace supervised from the harbor as members of his crew loaded the ship with all their supplies. It was _a lot_ of stuff. He hoped it wouldn't be too heavy for them to set sail. The food alone would last them more than a few months easy.

"No Talon, that's Doc's equipment. Put it in his office and he'll tell you where he wants it!" he snapped at the burly man.

Talon rolled his eyes and began walking away, grumbling something under his breath.

"What was that?" Ace asked the much larger man, glaring up at him, arms crossed.

Talon put the stuff down and glared Ace down.

"Just wondering why you've become such a prick lately," Talon replied irritably. Ace punched him hard in the gut, causing him to double over in pain. Ace managed to land another punch to his nose before other members of the crew immediately rushed over to get between them.

"Captain! Calm down!" they cried towards Ace. Jed grabbed him from behind and dragged him away from the scene, Ace thrashing the whole way.

"You're gonna learn to mind your mouth Talon! I'm the captain around here," Ace yelled after Talon. Jed pushed him into the trunk of a nearby tree. Ace turned his murderous stare towards him.

"You want some too, Jed? There's plenty more where that came from!"

Jed stared at him. "Cap't, mind tellin' me what the hell has gotten into you?"

Ace huffed. "Talon needs to learn to mind his mouth that's all."

"This ain't about Talon, anyone who knows you well can tell you that. You've been in this funky mood for a few says now captain. Now I'll ask again. What is goin' on in that head of yours?"

Ace sighed. Jed was his best friend. He could see through anything.

"It's…Maia," Ace began.

Jed chuckled. "Thought so. You two had a fight or something?"

Ace sighed again. "I wish. I haven't even seen her the last two days. I think she's been avoiding me."

"Why would she do that?"

Ace leaned against the tree trunk and buried his face in his hands. "Cause I told her that I… I love her."

"Whoa," Jed whistled.

"Yep."

Jed rubbed the back of his neck slowly. "Well, can you really blame her?"

Ace glowered at him. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you think pirates can't form long-lasting relationships? We get to an island, stay a day or two, pick up some cute chicks then split. This ain't the kinda lifestyle for a gal like that. She's the settle down, get married, live in two story house and pop out two babies-type. You're two different people with two different lives. Anyone with a brain can understand why that wouldn't work out. She's probably just protecting herself. And you."

Ace stared at the ground. Jed was incredibly right. Maia even said herself about "starting something they'd never be able to finish." Ace loved her, but they'd never be able to together. His heart ached as he truly realized this. He was on his way to the New World. She would be stuck in Marineford her whole life. Even if he wanted to visit, sailing into Marineford waters would be suicide.

"Look Cap't, it's obvious you love that girl. But maybe this is for the best. If you continue this charade, it's only going to make it harder to say goodbye tomorrow."

Ace nodded but his throat felt tight. He would say goodbye to Maia today and leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow. It was better for the both of them that way.

"Captain!" Ace heard a voice call him. Alex was jogging towards him.

"What is it?" he mumbled sadly.

"It's Maia," she began.

Ace was quickly alerted. "What? Did something happen? Is she alright?"

Alex nodded.

She's fine. "She wants you to meet her at the fountain in town center around four this afternoon. She said it's urgent."

Ace raised an eyebrow. _How urgent could it be if she needs me to meet her two hours from now?_

* * *

Maia typed fiercely on the keyboard in front her, eyes scanning and analyzing each word carefully as they appeared instantaneously. _Almost finished._

She had completely forgotten why she had been at sea in the first place with all the chaos that had occurred. She was supposed to get Ace to consider becoming a Shichibukai. This was the only way foreseeable way the two could be together. Her father definitely wouldn't approve and she was sure Joseph wouldn't either but it wouldn't be considered treason. So here she was in the library, typing up his contract since the ones she had brought with her were long gone.

Maia smiled happily. She was trained to look for loopholes.

"Hey there," a voice said from right behind her and Maia jumped, startled. She turned around quickly and clutched a hand to her chest.

"Riley!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, blushing sheepishly. "What are you doing in here?"

Being near Riley for the first time in a while made Maia uncomfortable. He was handsome with those deep blue eyes and charming smile but she knew what he was capable of.

"I'm uh, just doing some work," Maia replied quietly, gesturing to the computer.

"Oh," was all he said.

"Yep."

A silent moment passed.

"Have you been in contact with the main base?" he inquired suddenly.

_Why would he want to know that? _Maia asked herself. _What if I had? _

"No… Lieutenant Daniels has been the only in contact with the base as far as I know."

Riley nodded. "So what kind of work are you doing then?"

"Just some contract stuff,"

"For your boyfriend?"

Maia's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. How could he know?! Riley burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! It was a joke!"

Maia's heart was racing even with Riley's admittance. _No one can know about… us. _

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Riley was still having a giggle fit.

"What is it you want, Riley?" Maia asked quietly.

Riley stopped laughing and turned serious. "Honestly… I came to see you. We never really had a chance to patch things up."

"What are you talking about? I forgave you already."

"Yeah, I know but what's the deal with us? Are you ready to keep dating?"

Maia's breath hitched again and she stared incredulously at him. "I don't think that's a good idea, Riley. Things have changed and I don't feel the same way about you anymore."

Riley's face darkened briefly before he was suddenly cool again. "I understand."

Maia smiled at him. "I'm glad you do, Riley. I'll always care-,"

"I understand that you'll say anything to make it seem like you're less of whore," he continued. Maia gaped at him and she was _angry._

"Excuse me?" she began furiously

"You don't think I've seen you with that pirate trash? I've been watching you. In the hospital, on the beach. You're scum just like him," he declared bitingly.

Maia's heart throbbed. He knew everything. He had been watching her the entire time she had been on this island. Stalking her. No doubt he had collected evidence. He could have her executed in an instant.

Riley smirked cruelly at Maia.

"Don't worry. I won't tell daddy. Or anybody else for that matter. You just have to agree to one thing, Maia.

"Yeah, and what's that?" she responded shakily. She was shaking on the inside from a combination of fear and wrath. _Now he's trying to blackmail me!_

Riley suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her towards him and knocking the chair she was sitting in off balance. He crushed lips against hers, wrapping one arm around her waist. The other one was forcing her head to his.

Maia moaned in panic and tried her hardest to push away from him but Riley possessed the strength of ten men. He forced his tongue into her mouth and violated it.

This kiss was nothing like the one she had with Ace. Ace was passionate but loving. He wanted to taste every inch of her mouth but he did so gently. His arms around her were tight, were never constricting. This was the exact opposite. Riley crushed her with so much force her ribs ached. His tongue was wild. And this kiss was angry and forceful.

Maia bit his tongue hard and managed to knee him in his jewels. Riley threw her off of him yelling,"You bitch!"

Maia flew into the computer, breaking it as well as the desk. She could feel tears spilling over, the pain was unbearable. Broken glass and wood shards pierced her hands and she felt cuts on her back. The back of her head throbbed.

The librarian rushed over and gaped at the scene before her. "What on earth-,"

"So you'd choose that garbage over me, huh?" Riley asked menacingly.

"You'd choose garbage that'd steal from you then someone who loves you like I do?!" he screamed. He reached into his pocket and threw something at Maia.

She cringed when it hit her then picked it up. Her eyes widened. "Where …where did you get this?" Maia asked between sobs.

"Why don't you ask your _boyfriend?" _Riley snarled.

The librarian pushed him away from Maia. "I'm calling the police!"

Riley snorted. "Go right ahead. I'll be long gone," he said, walking away.

"See you later, Maia," he added scornfully.

* * *

Maia curled up into a ball and cried as he walked away.

Ace headed towards the town center, anxious about this meeting with Maia. What did she need to talk to him about that so was _urgent? _Part of him hoped it would be about the other night. Maybe she would finally tell him she loved him too. Ace's heart warmed at the thought. But part of him also wished she wouldn't say anything at all. That would make saying goodbye so much easier.

A cool breeze flew through the bustling streets and Ace shivered a bit. He still hadn't gotten his shirt back from that girl the other night. He'd have to find her and retrieve it.

As he approached the fountain, he saw Maia sitting around the edge, her golden hair loose and vibrant in the afternoon sun. She wore a black scoop neck t-shirt and some denim white capris with plain black flip-flops. Ace thought she looked stunning in all her simplicity.

He frowned when he saw a bandage wrapped around both hands. She also looked to be sitting a little awkwardly, like it hurt was hurting her to sit up straight. She was staring blankly at her feet.

"Hey you," Ace greeted her when he about 8 feet away. Maia's head snapped up and she looked at him. Up close, Ace got to see how bloodshot her eyes were. Her eyes were rimmed with red. She'd obviously been crying very recently.

_Oh no. Whatever she's got to say can't be good._

"Hi," she replied quietly, offering Ace a small smile.

Ace took her hands in his and tried to look deep into her golden eyes. "Maia, what's wrong?"

Maia hesitated and wouldn't meet his gaze "It's- it's nothing."

"You've been crying. It's gotta be something."

She was quiet again. "I just don't want to leave here yet. I'm going to miss you so much," she choked, a cascade of fresh tears rushing down her face.

Ace felt his own tears forming. "I'm going to miss you too, Maia." Ace didn't dare touch her more. It was already getting harder by the second building up to their final farewell.

They were silent as Maia wiped away her tears. She started chuckling and Ace looked at her, confused at her sudden change in emotions.

"What's so funny?"

"You know… I never got to complete my assignment. I just forgot about it with all that's happened."

"What was the assignment?"

She froze and took her hands from his. "Maia?" Ace called curiously.

"It's the only way that we could be together."

"Maia?" Ace repeated, grabbing her by her arms.

"All you have to do is say yes," Maia appeared to be talking to herself more than anything.

"Maia! What are you talking about?" Ace asked, shaking her slightly. She winced and pulled away from him.

"I was tasked with finding you and on behalf of the World Government, asking you if you would be willing to join the ranks of the Shichibukai. Just think about it, Ace! You get amnesty. You'll be free to do whatever you want and no one can stop you, not the Marines, not anybody!"

"Maia, stop," Ace whispered.

"Total freedom to do whatever you want. You don't even have to stop being a pirate!" Maia continued. She stood up, pacing with her words.

"Maia," Ace said sternly.

"It's the only way that we can be together, don't you see?"

"Maia!" Ace exclaimed. Startled, Maia looked at him.

Ace stood up and put both hands on her cheeks. He bent down so he was eye level with her.

"Do you honestly think for one second, that I would even consider allying myself with the World Government? Honestly?"

Maia gazed at him, her eyes wet with tears. Ace could feel his heart splitting in half with that tortured look.

"It's the only way that we can be together, Ace," she sobbed. "Don't you want me?"

Ace's throat felt dry. "I do. You know I do! But I can't declare my allegiance to the World Government. It goes against everything I stand for."

Maia wailed and Ace couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arms around her tight, not ever wanting to let her go. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the strawberry scent.

"Maia. I love you so much. You have to understand," he murmured against her ear.

"Ace?" someone called from behind him. He whipped around, irritated at the person who would ruin this moment for him.

His heart dropped.

His hookup from the bar stood in front him, arms crossed, glaring daggers at him.

Maia looked from the girl to Ace questioningly.

"I-uh, do I know you?" Ace asked, hoping she would get the hint to leave. She scoffed and rolled her green eyes.

"I don't know. Remember when we hooked up just the other night? I'm just here to give you back your stupid shirt," she rummaged in her bag a bit before she pulled out Ace's yellow open front shirt and threw at the ground.

Ace gaped at her. _There's no way this happening. Not right now. Of all the times._

"You sure picked a winner, honey," the hookup said sarcastically to Maia before strolling away.

Ace stepped forward and picked up his shirt before slowly turning around.

He searched Maia's face for any signs of rage. He expected death. But to his own pain, all he saw was hurt. Betrayal and hurt.

Maia's golden eyes pierced his eyes accusingly. Ace took a step toward her. "Maia, it's not what it looks, _seriously."_

He reached for her and she jerked away from him.

"I can't believe I fell for this act," she said incredulously. "I'm such a _fucking idiot."_

"Maia, please. It was never an act. Can we please talk about this somewhere else?"

People around them were starting to stare, curious as to what was going on.

"You had me going _Ace," _she spat._ "_What a wonderful performance. A top notch performance just to get into my pants."

Ace's eyes widened and he shook his head. "What? No! That was never what I wanted to do Maia. I love you."

"There you go with that wonderful phrase again. It sure worked magic on me."

"Maia, please let's go somewhere and talk about this."

"You won't be going anywhere Portgas D. Ace. I am placing you under arrest right here, right now."

Ace whipped his head around. _Shit._

A tall, muscular man with light green hair appeared behind him. Two lit cigars were held in his mouth. He wore an opened blue and white specialist Marine jacket with green lining and blue jeans. He also wore heavy brown boots. Some kind of spear hung on his back.

"I am Captain Smoker of the Marines and this is the end of line for you."

* * *

_Riley is a jerk. But what he threw will an important for the development of Ace's and Maia's relationship_

_Oh you guys, thought I was gonna make it easy for them to finally be together? Uh, no. I can anticipate at least 30 more chapters in this story. Or I might get to a real good stopping point and just continue the story with another title. I don't think many people that would read a 100 chapter story._

_Anyways, reviews would be lovely. Until next time!_

_Cottonball428_**  
**


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